Countdown
by Tabitha craft
Summary: Joey, Pacey, Jen and Jack met in college and they all share an apartment in New York City. Pacey is in love with Joey, but Joey is always going on about Dawson. Rated M now. Some unpleasant scenes.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, so here's a new old story lol. It's a bit different and you with loathe Joey at times. Again, as always, trust me! Please review so I know if you guys like it or not!**

 **It's T rating for now though the topics a bit mature so if it upsets you don't read. I may change the rating. This is nearly all written though I have a few more chapters to write:-) motivate me:-)**

 **Need to know: they all met in college rather than at school. The rest should be self explanatory.**

 **Chapter 1**

He would be with her now. His lips pressed against hers. What was it about blonds that seemed to attract him? Not for the first time in her life she cursed her dark hair and features. But then again she didn't want to be like all those other girls. Not really.

She imagined them at dinner. The stupid girl would be all wide eyed as he discussed his latest project. Blah,blah, blah she'd heard it all before, he couldn't impress her that way. Not that she'd want to be impressed in such a manner.

'I know what you're thinking about,' Jen grinned broadly enjoying her roommates glare. 'And it's not my fault I'm blond.'

'You're different,' Joey rolled her eyes.

'How am I different?' Jen arched an inquisitive brow.

'I take it back you're not different, he was besotted by you too!' Joey huffed and then rumpled her friends hair affectionately.

'Maybe this one will end up being a good friend like me,' Jen suggested. Joey harrumphed,

'Firstly, best friend, not good friend and secondly you're unique so I seriously doubt it.'

'I don't know what you see in Dawson anyway,' Jen complained as she personally found the the guy to be something of a boring moaner.

'Oh you wouldn't understand,' Joey dug her spoon into the tub of ice cream.

'You're right I wouldn't,' Jen sighed. 'I don't know why you can't see that Dawson has changed since college. He's a little self-involved and kind of mean,' Jen cringed waiting for the backlash.

'Oh I know he's self-involved, don't you see that that's just it?' Joey stared at her friend as if she were mad,

'What's just it?' Jen dug her own spoon into the tub and ate a large mouthful of the chocolate ice cream.

'He used to be all about me - I was his everything!' Joey waved her spoon around as she elaborated, 'I was his soul mate, and so I wanna know what I did? What did I do that was so bad? Why'd he suddenly drop me?' Joey pouted petulantly and a touch theatrically while Jen almost spat out her ice cream with laugher. 'What?'

'You don't like him you just don't want him to stop liking you,' Jen giggled.

'Of course I like him - he's my soul mate,' Joey moaned, somewhat unconvincingly.

'You can move out if you keep saying things like that,' Jen swatted her friend with a cushion, both of them laughing.

* * *

'Hey guys,' Jack burst into the apartment and their tequila induced ramblings. 'Not again, please tell me not again,' he shook his head sorrowfully.

'What?' Jen and Joey turned on him defensively.

'You and Dawson,' Jack rolled his eyes and Jen giggled, 'And you and Drue,' he turned to Jen with a withered shake of his head, helping himself to tequila.

'We're allowed to wallow,' Joey told him drunkenly.

'I beg to differ - you guys _love_ to wallow. Any excuse for ice cream and tequila.'

'We're alone and single not happily doing Pacey's brother,' Joey growled downing the rest of her drink and gesturing to Jen for more. Jack merely gave a smug smile as he thought about Doug.

'And where is Pacey?' Jen arched a delicate brow.

'Where do you think?'

'Off with a blond,' Joey pointed out as she wondered why the world was spinning.

'Off with a blond,' Jack confirmed.

'Figures,' Joey muttered. 'They're always blond.'

'Indeed they are,' Jen concurred sagely.

'Says you,' Jack teased refilling shot glasses with more tequila.

* * *

'Hey beautiful people,' with a swagger in his step Pacey entered the apartment. Surveying the scene he quickly decided that disaster had struck, either that or a very localised tornado. In the eye of the storm lay his three roommates, entangled with each other as they debated the colour of the ceiling.

'Pace,' all three seemed to sing in unison.

'I see I missed a high brow evening of philosophizing?' he flopped down next to Joey having missed her - he always missed her a little bit.

'Well settle the debate then oh wise one,' Jen poked him in the ribs.

'It's puce,' Pacey acknowledged.

'Thank you,' Joey drunkenly hugged him. Taking advantage of her drunkenness he held her a little longer than necessary ignoring the knowing look Jen shot in his direction.

'I maintain it's lily white,' Jack announced having well and truly made amends for Joey and Jens tequila head start.

'How was your blond Pacey?' Joey asked resting her head on his chest and her feet on Jack.

'Lovely,' Pacey acknowledged. Helen had been lovely. Lovely, but not Joey. 'I saw a certain someone while I was out,' he prodded Joey gently.

'What? Dawson? Where? Who was he with?' even as drunk as she was the questions tumbled out clearly.

'You know who he was with Jo,' Jack snorted tickling Jens feet.

'Aaaggh I hate that girl,' Joey groaned.

'It's only their second date and Audrey's not so bad,' Pacey didn't get it, the whole into Dawson thing. The guy wasn't much, especially not for a girl like Joey.

'But second leads to third, god they're practically married,' Joey sniffed in self-pity.

'Poor little you,' Pacey teased unsympathetically.

'Oh you wouldn't understand,' she pouted, squeezing his hip.

'I know I know, poor little Joey. Dawson chased you like a dog on heat and when you finally slept with him he buggered off - it's a terrible sob story. I mean the relationship was so deep...'

'He said he loved me,' Joey complained, unperturbed by Pacey's irritation and belittling of the situation.

'And did you love him?' Pacey asked wryly.

'Well I could have,' Joey answered delicately.

'If you ask me you had a lucky escape - the guy is an idiot,' Jack put in.

'He pursued me the entire way through college, I mean he was insistent...'

'We remember,' the other three chorused.

'Oh never mind, give me more tequila,' Joey grabbed the bottle forgoing lemon and salt.

'Seriously Jo, when are you going to let the whole Dawson thing go?' it was Jack that asked the question though the others were thinking it.

'It's not as simple as that,' Joey tried to explain.

'Yeah it is Jo,' Pacey took the bottle from her and took a large shot.

'That's my tequila,' Joey grumped and they wrestled for the bottle.

'Actually it's my tequila,' Jen informed them, plucking the bottle from their grappling hands.

* * *

Pacey walked into the open plan living area with a spring in his step. Placed on various pieces of furniture were his roommates, Jen lying prostate on the ottoman, Jack on the couch and Joey with her feet in the air lying on the seat of the comfy chair.

'And how's everyone this morning?' he asked in a cheerful and pointedly loud voice.

'All the worse for seeing you,' Joey grumbled.

'What did I do?' he feigned innocence.

'We all got drunk last night, how come you're so chipper?' Jack asked for Joey.

'I think you guys had a three hour head start on me,' Pacey grinned, 'thus I have the energy to make it to work on time.'

'Oh god work,' Jen groaned into the floor where her head was dangling.

'I don't start till lunch,' Jack muttered somewhat smugly as the door slammed behind Pacey.

'Does he _always_ have to do that?' Joey grumbled.

'When he knows were hungover, yeah,' Jen replied.

'This is all your fault,' Joey informed her archly.

'How's that? I thought I was your best friend, unique and all that?'

'You bought the tequila and I'm supposed to be on shift in half an hour else the boss will kill me.'

'Just buy a large coffee on your way in,' Jen supplied helpfully.

'Thanks,' Joey was full of sarcasm as she manovered herself out of the chair and dragged herself along to her room to throw on a pair of jeans and shirt.

'Hope you break the case,' Jack and Jen called a few minutes later as she slammed the door unsympathetically on them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews guys. Please, please keep them coming! It means I post because I know that people are liking what they read. They definitely feed into what I write and the fact that I write at all!**

 **This is a short chapter but it's all scene setting. I wanted to post this as this story might not be everyone's cup of tea. It's a bit of a crime, mystery, thriller I guess. And a romance of course! I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2**

Jack looked at Jen, who'd moved herself from the ottoman to Joey's vacated chair,

'So, best friend of mine, has Joey told you about this mysterious case of hers?'

'You ask the same thing every week and get the same answer...' Jen rolled her eyes.

'You'd think she'd crack and tell us everything after, what, almost two years?' Jack complained.

'That's why she's in the FBI and you and I are in journalism and hear that word Jackers, _journalism. We'_ re the worst people for her to crack and tell everything to anyway...'

'We're hardly news reporters Jen - you write the society column and I report sports. We're not exactly threatening,' Jack protested.

'Give it up it, ain't never gonna happen,' Jen whacked him lightly and shut her eyes.

'What about Pacey?' Jack wasn't going to give it up.

'What _about_ Pacey?' she opened her eyes reluctantly and gave him a scathing look.

'Well she might have told him, I mean he's only a chef.'

'I wouldn't let him hear you say " _only a chef_ ,"' Jen smirked.

'That's not what I meant, I mean surely she'd tell Pace?' Jack threw a pillow at her.

'You must be hungover because I think you're a bit confused - Pacey is in love with Joey and Joey, she's oblivious and for some reason none of us can understand, head over heels for the rat that is Dawson Leery.'

'So you don't think she'd tell Pacey?' Jack asked unperturbed.

'No I don't think she'd tell Pacey.'

* * *

Joey answered the phone sharply, feeling the stress and hangover mingle together,

'Potter,' she practically shouted down the phone.

'Hey Potter, it's yours truly,' Pacey grinned.

'What do you want? Some of us are trying to catch the bad guys not peel an onion without crying,' she practically stamped her feet with impatience.

'So you don't want me to pop over with some veggie moussaka _just for you_?' Pacey feigned disappointment.

'Veggie? As in proper veggie, no fish, because you said that stew was veggie and there was fish in it...'

'You don't put fish in moussaka Jo,' Pacey shuddered.

'How would I know?' she muttered.

'So shall I bring it over - I'm on lunch?'

'Pace, you know you can't come to my office...'

'Shame, such a shame,' Pacey murmured.

'Look, I'll meet you in the usual spot just bring the damn moussaka,' Joey ordered briskly and hung up.

* * *

Joey approached Pacey who was sat on a bench eating an ice cream.

'Is that it?' she eyed the box beside him. He nodded and she sat down and opened the delicious smelling meal.

'How you feeling?' he enquired politely.

'Dandy,' Joey informed him sarcastically through a mouthful of food.

'So delicate when you eat,' Pacey teased.

'My life's goal - _delicacy_ ,' Joey responded scathingly.

'How goes the case?'

'I'm going to move out if you guys don't stop quizzing me left right and centre. How many times do I have to say that I can't tell you?'

'But you're not in any danger?' Pacey asked carefully.

'Pace you don't need to be so over protective, I'm fine. I'm trained to do this job and in case you don't remember, I can beat you, and in your own words, if I can beat you I can beat anyone,' she gave him a smile that he returned, before rolling his eyes,

'I was unwell that day...'

'Still...' she arched her eyebrows and waggled them, until he nudged his shoulder against hers,

'You know it better not be that guy you're after,' Pacey said after a moment of companionable silence.

'What guy?' Joey did her best confused face which Pacey ignored,

'You know that serial rapist guy, the dead girl. I know Jen and Jack can be oblivious but none of us could possibly have missed him - come on Jo you know we do pay attention some times! And there's a reason Jen, at least, has been escorted everywhere for the last two years.'

'Doesn't mean that's what I'm working on,' she scowled.

'Two years of attacks,' Pacey began, 'and you're busy after every one...'

'Pacey,' she protested.

'You can trust me,' he encouraged.

'I know,' she nodded, 'I just... It isn't nice Pace. This guy doesn't just rape women,' Joey began but trailed off. 'Don't make me say things I shouldn't - it's not right.'

'But don't you ever need to vent?' he turned and impulsively took her hand.

'I have a counsellor,' she removed her hand from his and continued to eat.

'That's not the same as a friend,' Pacey insisted trying not to feel hurt.

'Look Pace, what do you want me to say? You wanna know what the press doesn't? That this guy tortures his victims? That he wears a mask so we've never had a description? He kidnaps the women and puts them through a ten day ordeal, always ten days. That's why they call him the Countdown rapist - you know us agents always gotta name them. He doesn't rape them until the tenth day, he plays with them. You don't need to know the details, they're not important, all that's important is that we catch this guy and I'm assigned to do that, not you.'

'You and Christopher,' Pacey hated Christopher Mallory. Even though Joey only had eyes for Dawson, who Pacey hated more, Christopher was persistent and Pacey worried that when Joey finally moved on from Dawson, Christopher would be there waiting.

'What is it with you and Chris?' Joey scowled.

'I just don't like the guy,' Pacey muttered.

'This case is need to know and he doesn't need to know. I don't know why you have such a thing about him...'

'He's young, good looking and full of himself,' he didn't add that it was Christopher's perusal of Joey that he really hated.

'He's just a guy I work with,' she shrugged. 'I work with a whole team of agents you know?' Joey sighed.

'How's the moussaka?' Pacey went for a complete change of subject.

'All gone,' Joey grinned showing him the empty box. Pacey grinned back then looked at his watch.

'Gotta go, I'll catch you later Jo,' Pacey spontaneously kissed the top of her head. She looked up at him,

'Yeah, and don't worry about me Pace - I'm always fine. Thanks for my lunch,' and she blew him a kiss as he walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks so much to those that take the time to review - THANKS!**

 **Ok, so you're pretty much going to loathe Joey in this chapter. Have trust people!**

 **Feedback is the best so please review, even if you just want to pick on the girl;-)**

 **Chapter 3 Countdown**

'What's up with you?' Jack walked into Jens office to find her slouched at her desk looking utterly dejected.

'I have a problem.'

'I'm all ears?' he sat on the desk.

'Dawson asked me out,' Jen looked like she might burst into tears.

'What did you say?' Jack asked wide eyed.

'No, of course,' Jen made a little hiccup sound.

'So what's the problem?'

'Well I have to tell Joey,' Jen made a face, something crossed between apprehensive and irritated, it was a daunting, and in all likelihood, time consuming prospect after all.

'Why?' Jack didn't understand.

'She's my best friend'

'And won't this hurt her?' Jack quizzed.

'Yeah.'

'And would she ever find out?'

'No.'

'So?' Jack made a crazy face.

'I don't know, it just feels wrong keeping it from her.'

'You don't want to hurt her and she's never gonna find out let it go,' Jack gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

* * *

'Hey Dougy,' Joey gave Doug a quick hug before flopping into the armchair.

'Hard day?' Doug asked sympathetically. As a police officer he felt that he was more clued in that the others as to the details of her job.

'You could say that,' she smiled and took the beer Pacey handed her, as he tossed one to his brother. 'Thanks.'

'So Andie should be here in twenty,' Jack informed Pacey who, despite cooking all day, was back in the kitchen making some delicious smelling dish.

'Andie?' Joey wrinkled her nose. After the day she'd just had, the idea of enduring an evening of Andie throwing herself at Pacey felt utterly impossible. Her glowering thoughts were interrupted by Jen who burst into the apartment carrying three bottles of wine. 'Jen,' Joey resisted the urge to throw herself at her friend, but only just.

'Hey Jo, pleased to see me much?' Jen shot her a quizzical look.

'Yeah, I guess,' Joey reigned in her enthusiasm, blushing slightly.

'So how was your day?' Jen asked as Joey watched her closely, not missing the flitter of guilt run through her friends eye. She was trained to spot these things.

'Stressful,' Joey answered honestly. 'Yours?'

'Um you know, ok, not very eventful,' Jen stuttered slightly as she plonked the wine next to Pacey.

'um yeah uh thanks,' he mocked her stutter with a grin. Jack and Doug laughed.

'So Andie's coming over,' Joey informed Jen. 'So I was thinking of calling Dawson,' she watched carefully as her friends face drained of colour.

'What, so he can say no and you can moan and sob all night?' she asked abruptly. Joey seemed to deflate.

'I'm going to shower,' she muttered, stalking off.

'Shit,' Jen grumbled.

'Yeah - way to go on sensitivity,' Pacey teased gently.

'I better go see if she's ok,' Jen sighed. Walking upstairs she was about to knock on the door to Joey's room when she heard her talking

'Please Dawson it'll be fun, everyone will be here... yeah Jen and Andie... you know Pacey will be here, I live with him,' Joey sighed. 'Really? Great so we'll see you in an hour,' Joey hung up and smiled smugly. 'Good,' she murmured feeling in control. Jen tapped on the door and spoke softly,

'Hey Jo sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it. Is Dawson coming?'

'Yeah he is,' again Joey perused her friend closely.

'Oh. Look I'm sorry Jo, I just hate the way he makes you feel. I mean Pacey makes you laugh and Dawson makes you cry. Pacey looks after you and Dawson only looks after himself...' Jen trailed off as Joey's eyes narrowed.

'And what has Pacey got to do with this?' Joey stomped her feet, hands on her hips.

'N...nothing,' Jen stammered, 'just he treats you so much better than Dawson and he's your friend.'

'Look Jen, the sooner you all accept that I want Dawson and no one else will do, the better it'll be for everyone.'

'Jo, I do accept that. You're my best friend and I want you to be happy.'

'Good, then be nice when he arrives.'

'Sure,' Jen buried her sigh as she turned on heel leaving Joey to shower and change her clothes.

* * *

'The forehead's coming, ' Jen announced to the others as she flopped dejectedly into a chair at the table.

'A few more chillies never hurt anyone,' Pacey muttered knowing how much Dawson loathed them. He began to cut three extra for the sauce he was making. Doug watching his brother's action smirked.

'Why does an intelligent, beautiful, sassy girl like Jo want someone as painful and obnoxious as him?' Jack pondered.

'She fell in love I guess,' Pacey growled, stirring his sauce a little too vigorously. A knock at the door interrupted his fury and he went to answer it, only to be instantly pounced upon by Andie McPhee, Jacks rather hyperactive sister.

'Pacey,' Andie threw her arms around him tightly as she breathed in his delicious scent. 'Mmmm what are you cooking, it smells divine?'

'Pasta and sauce is all,' Pacey told her as she whirlwinded into the living area and squeezed everyone tightly in greeting, particularly her brother.

'Where's Joey?' she asked as they all settled down to a glass of wine. Jen didn't miss the glint of hopefulness in Andie's eyes. Andie knew that when Joey was around Pacey only had eyes for her and Andie hated it.

'Shower,' Pacey grabbed a glass of water after tasting the sauce. 'Pasta sauce is a little hot guys,' he gulped the water.

'Is Dawson coming or something?' Andie asked innocently and everyone grimaced a response.

* * *

Whoever was at the door wasn't patient. The knocking wasn't just a couple of taps and a wait but rather an unrhythmical manic attack of flesh on wood.

'Woah there,' Pacey beseeched as he swung the door open to reveal Dawson, blond hair slicked back, power suit looking expensive but not fitting quite right.

'Is Joey here?' Dawson said by way of greeting.

'Just got out of the shower. Hey by the way,' Pacey refrained from slamming the door in his face.

'I'll go say hi,' he grinned at Pacey and headed for Joey's room hoping to catch her undressed.

'Breathe Pace, breathe,' Jack whispered.

* * *

Joey was drinking too much wine. That's what Pacey thought. The more Dawson flirted, and he used that word lightly, with Jen and Andie the more Joey appeared to drink. She looked, for lack of a better word, exceedingly stressed.

'You can slow it down Jo,' Pacey whispered.

'Mmmm,' she watched Dawson carefully.

'Jo, look, just talk to me and you know, ignore him. It's kind of a rule with guys - the more interested a girl seems the more they can ignore you. You ignore him and you never know...' he nudged her gently. She looked at him with an oddly surprised expression.

'I'd never use you to get to him,' she whispered feelingly.

'You don't need to use me, just focus a little less on him and talk to me,' Pacey wanted to shake some sense into her, but knew he couldn't. For over a year now, Joey had thought of no one but Dawson.

'So how's work Pace?' she asked after a moment, shifting her chair closer and turning to face him.

'Give me another six months and I'll own the place. It's all finally coming together,' Pacey smiled modestly.

'Really?' Joey's eyes lit up and she hugged him tightly. 'Why didn't you say?'

'You seem so stressed with work,' he shrugged.

'Not too stressed to know about what's happening with you! I'm so proud of you Pace,' she hugged him impulsively, his arms slipping around her and hugging her tight for one hedonistic moment.

'Not bad for a college dropout,' he squeezed her one last time and then reluctantly released her when she sat back.

'A college degree isn't a marker of your intelligence,' Joey chastised him affectionately. Dawson, who had been watching the exchange, scoffed,

'Of course it is Joey - if you can afford to go to college and you get in, dropping out is surely a sign that you're not exactly rolling in either motivation or ability,' Dawson shrugged. For a second there was silence, but then Joey turned away from Pacey and looked at Dawson,

'Do you think?' she asked softly, somehow oblivious to the dropped jaws of all her friends.

'Jo, he just called Pacey stupid,' Jen informed her tightly.

'He didn't call him stupid, he just said that to drop out of college means you find it difficult and Pacey _did_ find it difficult,' Joey blushed as Dawson smiled at her.

'Actually I really did mean Pacey was stupid,' Dawson said as if making a joke and Joey laughed. Dawson looked at Pacey and then gave Joey a winning smile,

'Look Joey, lets go out for dinner, I don't much like this chilli sauce of Paceys anyway,' Dawson stood and reached for her hand. She took his and stood,

'Thanks for cooking Pace,' she barely even looked at him 'but I'm going to go with Dawson,' her eyes didn't quite meet those of her friends as she headed for the door with Dawson.

'What about Audrey?' they heard her ask as the front door slammed behind them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok, before I lose my readership entirely here is chapter 4. You may like Joey a little better! Remember to trust me - I only write PJ fics. All will be revealed around chapter 6;-)**

 **Thanks for reviews and please keep doing so. With a fic like this it's especially important because I get nervy!**

 **Chapter 4 countdown**

Joey was met with the stony glares of her roommates the following morning.

'What?' she asked defensively knowing full well what. She bit her lip and looked at the ground attempting to look not only contrite but sad and vaguely oblivious.

'Don't play dumb,' Jen growled.

'Look you wouldn't understand,' Joey sighed defensively.

'You don't sell out your friends for a guy that's only interested some of the time,' Jack informed her coldly.

'I wasn't selling anyone out. Pacey knows I think he's great and Dawson wasn't saying he was stupid, he wasn't,' she looked around feeling persecuted.

'Whatever you say,' Jen sighed bitterly.

'Come on Pace, you know I didn't mean that,' she turned the full effect of her eyes on Pacey who almost caved,

'I know you didn't mean anything by it Jo,' he offered but he kept his distance.

'Look Dawson is just Dawson, he's... and...' Joey's bottom lip seemed to quiver. She looked at Pacey helplessly who now instantly caved.

'It's alright Jo,' he gave her a quick hug that she received gratefully. Although he was cut off from saying something pointed by the sharp ring of Joey's cell phone. Instinctively she answered it without hesitation.

'Potter... hmmm... Mmm... Can't really talk here... Ok... But... We'll talk about that when I get in. Yeah Mallory sure thing... I'll be there in ten... bye,' hanging up she gave her friends a smile, 'I'm sorry ok?'

'Sure Jo look, just be safe ok?' Jen said reluctantly. She hated a fight between her and Joey when the latter had to go to work, fearing that one day something might happen and she'd always regret the sour words between them.

* * *

'No way. Categorically no way,' Joey shook her head.

'Now Joey,' Kinster rubbed his hands, sometimes being in charge of FBI agents wasn't easy, hell it was never easy. 'We want to break this case. We want this bastard behind bars and we want the women of New York safe again. How many years has he terrorised the women of this city? You yourself said that you thought this was the way to catch him...'

'It just doesn't seem fair...' she frowned, aware that her bottom lip was stuck out a little childishly but powerless to stop the physical display of her disapproval.

'Look Joey, maybe I'm not being clear this is an order...'

'Look I'll do it, but I don't approve. You're taking risks with people who aren't agents.'

'Those people are already at risk and you know that the person under the greatest risk is you. Are you still willing to work on this case? I need 100% commitment?' Joey's eyes narrowed at her boss,

'I'm committed to this 110% and you know that. I don't care about the risk to me just civilians,' Joey informed him heartily.

* * *

'Hey Pace,' Joey instantly recognised his voice when he answered the phone. Her voice crackled suspiciously,

'Are you ok Jo? You sound upset... is it Dawson?' Pacey couldn't help his concern, he always wanted Joey happy.

'I found out Dawson asked Jen out,' she hiccupped softly.

'Oh Jo,' he sighed.

'He... he... I called this morning and he told me,' she was obviously crying, a sound that broke his heart, even if it was over that loser.

'I'll meet you Jo, ten minutes at the usual spot.'

'Thanks.'

She was sitting on a bench, head in hands when he arrived and he wondered if she'd called him from the bench.

'Jo,' he said her name softly, sitting beside her and wrapping his arm around her.

'Pacey,' she threw herself into his arms, drinking in the delicious scent of him.

'What happened?'

'He asked her out. Last night everything seemed so great, I mean we went for dinner and...and then he said it was her he came to see not me...' she began to cry and he held her closer. 'I...I.. thought it was the alcohol but when I called this morning he asked if I remembered about Jen. He asked me, _me_ of all people, to talk her into a date with him,' Joeys tears were soaking his shirt.

'And Jen said nothing?' Pacey sat back from Joey so he could look into her eyes. He could absolutely understand why Jen may have kept her silence.

'I'm her best friend,' Joey complained.

'I bet she said no and just didn't want to hurt you,' Pacey said carefully.

'Oh I know that you're right, I'm more hurt by him than her. How could he do that to me? It's like he goes out of his way to hurt me. I mean I know he's oblivious but it's not like I make a secret of how I feel', she looked at him with wide luminous eyes.

'Look sweetheart, he's an idiot. You're not only gorgeous but you're the best girl I know,' he whispered as he held her close. She pushed back from him,

'You think I'm gorgeous?' she asked tentatively.

'You know that I do,' he rubbed a thumb across her cheek. If it was obvious to Dawson how Joey felt it was certainly obvious to Joey how Pacey felt, well Pacey was pretty certain it was.

'Why couldnt I fall in love with you instead?' she asked rhetorically.

'I guess my forehead is too normal sized,' Pacey sighed sorrowfully and Joey started to laugh, swatting him playfully. 'I'm sure there's a drug I could take,' he said in all seriousness pleased to see her laughing.

* * *

Jen and Jack walked into the apartment surprised to find Pacey and Joey ensconced in an incredibly messy flour fight. It looked as though they'd started out making a cake but things had escalated. Most of the eggs were on each other, the floor and even the ceiling. Flour and sugar seemed to have followed and as they entered Joey was brandishing a bottle of chocolate sauce in a somewhat menacing fashion.

'And what is going on in here?' Jen coughed loudly and put on her best teacher voice.

'He started it,' Joey giggled.

'I wasn't the one that missed the bowl when they tried to crack an egg,' Pacey pulled Joey close and grabbing a handful of cake mixture massaged it into her hair. That was enough of an excuse for Joey to release the chocolate sauce.

'Hey, hey, hey,' Jen interrupted loudly. 'Cake mixture is one thing but chocolate sauce is another entirely. Jack, go left,' Jen yelled but Joey and Pacey were too quick for them and they pelted through the apartment and into one of the bathrooms locking the door behind them.

'You can't stay in there forever,' Jack intoned in a deep menacing voice.

'And when you emerge the chocolate sauce will be ours and the cleaning up yours,' Jen trailed off when Jack tapped her on the shoulder, 'what?'

'She dropped the sauce,' he grinned and handed it to Jen who squeezed a sizable amount into her mouth and abandoned door guarding duty.

* * *

'Oh god, my sides hurt,' Joey held her stomach and tried to stop laughing.

'Where's the sauce?' Pacey asked in a conspiratorial voice, his ear pressed to the door. Joey looked at him, his ruffled flour covered hair, his muscles looking all tight and defined under his t-shirt, and his strong beautiful face, all full of childish glee. She was suddenly filled with bravado and utter heart stopping desire, a tricky and unexpected combination. She'd spent a long time and a lot of effort resisting Pacey's advances and at that moment she didn't want to resist. After a moments hesitation, during which Pacey had his ear pressed to the bathroom door, she edged closer to him,

'Right here,' she leaned over until there was barely a millimetre between them and ran her tongue up the side of his neck retrieving a large glob of chocolate sauce. Pacey gasped loudly, and abruptly turned to look at her, his heart exploding into a galloping pace. His desire for her was written clearly in his eyes, which were dark and stormy as he stared at her in stunned silence, clearly unsure what had just happened. She might have looked the picture of messy innocence but her eyes were wantonly looking at his lips and the chocolate sauce that had somehow landed there. Without responding to the question in his eyes she murmured, 'and here,' and gently removed the sauce from his mouth with hers. Pacey had no choice in the matter but to kiss her. He'd dreamt about kissing her since he'd met her and with the girl now leaning into him, her lips pressed against his under the pretence of chocolate sauce removal, well he was going to kiss her or be damned. He pulled her to him and she landed somewhat awkwardly in his lap, but he merely slid his arms around her, pleasantly surprised by the soft moan that seemed to linger in her throat as she wrapped her hands around his neck, and kissed him back, her warm tongue sliding into his mouth eliciting a rumbling groan, and the slide of his hand up and under her work shirt, sliding across the satin tan skin of her stomach. It was all perfect, so utterly perfect, except for the small matter of Dawson.

'We better stop this,' Pacey broke the kiss reluctantly, marvelling at Joey's heavy lidded eyes and the way she seemed to have moulded herself to him in the warmest of warm embraces, her arm trapping his hand up her shirt as he attempted to chivalrously slide it out.

'Why?' she murmured apparently confused, 'it feels so nice,' she sought his lips again and it was a full fifteen minutes later that he remembered why.

'Because you're in love with Dawson,' Pacey answered and she looked at him blankly, her hands tugging at the back of his neck. 'That's why we should stop Jo. You're in love with Dawson.'

'And who are you in love with?' she smiled engagingly, flirtatious to a T.

'Jo, you know who,' he spoke honestly, but wasn't in the mood to be part of a game, a game where she clearly held all the cards.

'So why don't we go on a date?' she shrugged as if it were all so simple. 'Stop all this kissing nonsense and see whether we like each other? I mean like each other like that. Obviously we like each other,' she ran her palm over the stubble on his jaw.

'Aren't I the one that's supposed to ask you on a date?' Pacey couldn't help but smile because it felt like all his dreams were coming true and that had never happened to him before.

'Yeah, why have you never done that?'Joey frowned.

'I never thought you'd say yes,' he admitted.

'Well you don't know until you try,' she shrugged.

'Would you go out to dinner with me Jo?'

'Yeah, I'd love to. I'll pick where though,' she tapped him on the nose.

'How come you pick where?' he frowned this time.

'How come its taken you seven years to ask me on a date?' her eyes twinkled mischievously.

'Don't ask awkward questions,' Pacey teased.

'Stop me,' she challenged.

'Ok,' he easily agreed leaning in to kiss her again forgetting that he wasn't supposed to do that, to taken with the opportunity that had come crashing unexpectedly his way.

* * *

'Well thank god we have two bathrooms is all I can say,' Jen announced when two hours later Pacey and Joey emerged sheepishly from the bathroom, Joey's hand clasped in Pacey's.

'We were talking,' Joey winked.

'Sure that's what I told Andie when she rang, and Dawson. Funny but neither of them seemed to believe me,' Jen watched Joey closely.

'Why'd Dawson ring?' she seemed genuine enough.

'To ask me out again,' Jen admitted and could have sworn she saw Joey blanch. Her friend recovered herself quickly enough, asking causally,

'And you said?'

'No - of course I said no, I mean even if it wasn't for you I'd say no. Although he seemed pretty put out when I said you and Pacey had locked yourself in the bathroom,' Jen watched Joey who didn't hide her smile quickly enough, though she didn't call her on it. Although she didn't want to think badly of her friend she couldn't help wondering whether Joey was using Pacey to get the guy she really wanted - it was no secret that jealousy was a huge motivator, especially for Dawson. Not that she could imagine Joey doing such an awful thing but it all seemed a little suspicious. Pacey, smiling to himself and not suspicious in the slightest, flopped down onto the couch only just resisting the urge to pull Joey on top of him. She dropped into the arm chair and he tried to hide his disappointment, and his mild chagrin that she would choose to sit so far from him.

'So do you guys wanna go to a movie tomorrow night?' Jen suggested, changing the subject, as Jack handed Pacey a beer. Jen decided she would quiz Joey later. 'I mean after you've spent several hours cleaning up your monumental mess.'

'No can do, Jo and I are going out for dinner,' Pacey grinned, a total shit eating grin.

'As in a date?' Jen looked sharply at her friend.

'Yeah as a date,' Joey's answer was drowned out by the sound of her cell. 'Potter,' again the instinctive answering, 'yeah, yeah...all done... yeah, seems to be... ummmm... Not a good time, not tonight you know why, sure yeah ok ok... I'll be in and yes I'll be careful... Sure bye.'

'Work?' Pacey arched a brow.

'They wanted to check my progress on the case. I don't know why they always call me at home.'

'Be careful? Why did they tell you to be careful?' Jack asked the question but they all stared at her.

'We all have to be careful all the time - the case is reaching a critical point,' her eyes flitted across them all as they continued to frown, 'come on guys, you know I don't like to talk about all this and even if I did I couldn't.'

'Joey,' Jen protested.

'Look I'm going to head into work as I need to update the guys,' she pushed herself up and the others stared at her, 'what?'

'You might want to shower Jo,' Pacey smirked, her hair was thick with cake mixture and elsewhere she was covered by a variety of cooking ingredients.

'Speak for yourself,' Joey gave him a positively flirtatious wink.

'That an invitation Potter?' Pacey couldn't help but grin.

'Lets have a date first Witter,' she stalked off to the shower.

'What did you do to her?' Jen was bewildered.

'A little Witter charm...' he smirked, full of confidence which was ludicrous really because he'd been attempting to charm Joey for years with no success.

'No way a little Witter charm is responsible for that - she seems so happy and yet so... What's the word?' Jack wrinkled his nose.

'Bizarre,' Jen supplied.

'I'll ignore that bizarre comment and point out that you, Jackers, know all to well the real effect of Witter charm,' Pacey reminded him and Jack smiled dreamily thinking of Doug.

'But what about Dawson?' Jen couldn't help but ask.

'Did he really call?'

'Yeah.'

'And did you really say Joey and I were in the bathroom talking?'

'I actually said you were in the bathroom making out,' Jen smirked as the others laughed. 'He was really pissed, even forgot to get the answer to his question.'

'How come you just told Joey like that, that he asked you out again?' Jack was confused.

'Pacey told me yesterday that she knew. I'm not gonna lie to her,' Jen shrugged.

'How did she know Pace?' Jack frowned.

'Dawson told her, the bastard,' Pacey grimaced at the mention of their once friend.

* * *

'Hey guys I'm off,' Joey emerged from her room looking fresh faced. Her long dark hair was clean and blow dried and pulled back into a pony tail. She wore a pair of clean jeans and a t-shirt. 'Sorry to leave you with the clean up Pace,' she gave him a dazzling smile.

'Be safe Jo,' Jen waved, but couldn't help but notice her friends distraction and agitation. Pacey, who'd been hoping for a more personal goodbye was disappointed as Joey, checking her cell as she walked, headed out of the apartment with a casual call over her shoulder,

'Aren't I always?'


	5. Chapter 5

**You guys are awesome - thanks for the reviews!**

 **You will hate both me and Joey after this one. Please feel free to vent in reviews, but don't stop reading please - remember this is me and there is always method to my madness!**

 **Please review:-)**

 **Chapter 5**

'Why are you looking so weird?' Christopher Mallory observed his partner closely as they sat waiting for Kinster. Joey looked to be on the edge of her seat excited, nervous and pleased all in one go.

'I've got a date,' she smirked.

'Way to go Jo - Dawson finally asked you out hey?' Mallory clapped her on the back.

'It's with Pacey.'

'But I thought...' Mallory frowned.

'You'll see,' Joey gave him a large smile.

* * *

'So where's our date Jo?' Pacey flopped onto the bench beside her and placed a tub of veggie lasagne into her outstretched hands.

 _'Clives_ ,' Joey managed to splutter through a mouthful of hot lasagne, which she'd shovelled in immediately.

'Fancy girl,' Pacey teased, and then patted her on the back, 'chew, don't inhale,' he reminded her.

'Haha. And I'll pay for dinner, don't worry,' Joey drank some water and checked her watch absentmindedly.

'That's not a problem Jo, really it's not, he flushed in embarrassment because it really wasn't what he'd meant, 'I mean if I'd asked you out seven years ago, there might have been seven years worth of dates that I'd paid for. I think I can manage one fancy date,' he caught a tendril of her hair and tucked it behind her ear, surprised by his nerves. For the first time since meeting him Joey allowed herself to look at him only to find herself lost in his eyes and those delicious looking lips of his. Without really thinking, and despite the fact that she knew they were being watched, and that she really shouldn't, she kissed him impetuously. It was meant to be a quick kiss, but it wasn't. The more she kissed him, the more she wanted to kiss him until they were one of _those_ couples she'd always scoffed at, the ones with no shame about being ridiculously entwined on a public park bench, apparently oblivious to everyone but each other.

* * *

'Wow, this place is nice,' Pacey whistled mentally stocking up ideas for his place, _Cocos_.

'Really nice,' Joey nodded handing her coat to the hostess after they were seated at their table. Once seated Joey made a point of looking around the restaurant, carefully noting the position of their table in relation to the room. Pacey watched her and followed her line of vision, but couldn't really see anything he thought was important -of course it was her job to notice things that the average person wouldn't.

'You ok?' he asked frowning slightly.

'Great,' she smiled and seemed to give him her full attention, her eyes bright and looking all smouldering and sexy with dark eyeshadow and mascara. He loved that she'd dressed up for a date with him. He especially loved the dark green dress she was wearing that looked phenomenal.

'How was work?' Pacey asked, eyeing up her hand that was lying innocently on the table next to her cell, his hand itching to take a hold of it.

'Lets not talk about work, we're on a date - aren't we supposed to dissect our childhoods or something?' Joey wrinkled her nose and resisted the urge to pull him across the table by his tie and plant one on him. He looked divine in his causal shirt and skinny tie, with just the right amount of scruff on his cheeks.

'You've met my parents - there'll be no dissecting of my childhood,' he smiled at her softly, 'but yours, you've always held back. Seven years and none of us have met any member of your family. I don't even know your dads name,' Pacey had hoped that her suggestion they talk about their childhoods was a hint that she'd share her life with him, something she'd not done with any of them, even Jen. It had never really been an issue before, just with Joey there was an absence of the "when I was little my mom" or "My dad used to..." stories.

'What do you want to know?' she smiled openly.

'Whats your dad do?'

'I don't have a dad,' she shrugged. 'You're not the only one that doesn't know my dad's name,' she smiled at that.

'Oh,' he frowned.

'I know,' she took a sip of water and stared at him, her eyes locked on his.

'So your mom?' he asked but frowned at her expression.

'I'll save you some time here Pace,' Joey wasn't cross or even remotely upset, just matter of fact. 'The reason I've never spoken about my family is because I don't have one. I never did. I was abandoned as a baby and brought up in a home. The reason I don't talk about it is because it makes people uncomfortable,' she shrugged.

'I'm not uncomfortable,' he told her honestly, even if he was mentally reassessing every conversation he could remember.

'You're not?' she surveyed him closely.

'Nope. You ever thought about trying to trace them?' Pacey asked.

'I know in books and films that when a baby is abandoned there's always a note or some link to the parents - usually a locket for whatever reason. I only had a diaper and a blanket,' Joey explained with a shrug.

'Oh,' his heart squeezed right at the thought, 'so what were the people in the home like?' he couldn't imagine her life, couldn't believe that none of them had known this about a girl they considered to be their best friend.

'There were a few that were ok. Bessie, she was a few years older than me she and her boyfriend Bodie were nice - they watched out for me, but then they grew up and left and somehow we lost touch. I was the only lifer.'

'Why didn't they put you with a foster family?' Pacey couldn't understand it. Surely a baby girl would be wanted. He was sure she's been cute.

'That would be my fault. I didn't want to go you see,' Joey twisted her hands together uncomfortably. Pacey reached across the table and held them with his.

'Why not?'

'Because I'd been abandoned once. They kept me in the home until I was three, I don't know why, I thought people always wanted to adopt babies, then they briefly put me with a family but they decided they didn't want me. That was twice. After that I refused to go. The home never abandoned me. Simple as that,' she didn't seem uncomfortable any more.

'Joey,' a voice interrupted them, and they were both so startled that they visibly jumped.

'Dawson, what are you doing here?' Joey seemed genuinely surprised but wouldn't meet Pacey's eyes, and her hands slipped from his grasp.

'I always come here,' he scowled, 'I think the more pertinent question is, what are you doing here with him?' Dawson glared at Pacey, and then his eyes roved over Joey in her dress in a way Pacey didn't like.

'We're on a date,' Joey stated matter of fact.

'Two nights ago you were declaring your love for _me_ ,' Dawson apparently couldn't believe it, and Pacey didn't like to own up to the disquiet in his stomach at these revelations.

'A lot can change in two days.'

'Is this because I said I want to take Jen out,' Dawson seemed to be smiling.

'Actually this is because Pacey's a damn site nicer to me than you've ever been,' Joey informed him archly.

'Not what you've said before,' Dawson glowered.

'I was lying before to try and impress you,' Joey admitted.

'You can't just do this Joey. I finished with Audrey so we could give it another go. You told me you loved me and I couldn't stop thinking about it and now you're out with him? Him of all people? You and I belong together, you know that, soulmates, right?' he gave her a look, a long, intent look.

'I don't think I believe in soul mates anymore,' Joey responded dismissively. This served only to notch up the temperature of Dawson's anger,

'I don't see how you can throw away our potential for him! I mean he's a college drop out. He's impulsive and head strong. I could give you a good life,' Dawson was almost hyperventilating.

'Now wait a second,' Pacey growled.

'Look Dawson, things change accept it...' she shrugged her thin shoulders, but Pacey, who normally prided himself on his ability to read Joey, couldn't read her at all.

'Whats it been? Two days? Two days and you're a bitch already? Really didn't take long did it? You'd never have spoken to me like that before,' Dawson practically pouted as he simmered.

'She grew a backbone I guess,' Pacey snapped as Dawson stormed off, arguing with the hostess on his way out.

'Sorry about that,' Joey looked down.

'Did you know he was going to be here Jo?' Pacey couldn't rid himself of the uncomfortable feeling, the sneaky feeling of doubt and betrayal. Joey had picked a restaurant that _Dawson_ always went to. The only reason to do that would be to ensure he saw them together, and the only reason she'd want that was if she wanted to make Dawson jealous. And if she wanted to make Dawson jealous, well she wanted Dawson.

'Not exactly,' Joey shifted in her seat her eyes downcast.

' _Joey_ ,' Pacey said her name so pointedly that she looked at him and he could see the guilt written in her eyes. 'Was this whole thing really about Dawson?' he asked.

'Yes,' she admitted because she knew he already knew. She raised guilty eyes to his, staring at his hurt, his shame, his pain..

'I can't believe you,' Pacey barely managed to get the words out as tears burned his eyes, and his stomach felt like he'd been kicked. Without another word he left the restaurant.

 **N.B. I'm changing the rating to M**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm posting this early because it's ready and you all made me so happy by reviewing. I had a crappy day after experiencing school yard tactics of exclusion as a grown woman - in all honesty it sucks. Your reviews picked my mood up a bit so thanks:-)**

 **Ok, READ ME: this story has a nasty character in it who does awful things. This is now rated M, so you have been warned. You can skip the last paragraph if you'd rather.**

 **All will become clear in the next couple of chapters...at the moment you're in the dark like the characters...**

 **Chapter 6**

 **DAY 1**

Jack and Jen watched Pacey closely. Something was definitely wrong.

'Come on Pace, just tell us what happened,' Jen beseeched for the fifth or sixth time.

'There's nothing to say,' Pacey growled into his breakfast.

'You're obviously upset,' Jen began tentatively trailing off when Pacey raised his red eyes to her.

'Just a little, _you know_ ,' he muttered sarcastically.

'So you had a bad date,' Jack tried to be dismissive.

'Look, Dawson was there ok? It was all about him,' Pacey muttered the words darkly.

'Dawson,' Jen shook her head bewildered. 'I wouldn't think Joey was capable of using someone...'

'Well she is,' Pacey snapped.

'I can't believe that girl, of all the low down things to do! She needs to be given a lesson or two in appropriateness. How could she use you of all people?' Jen was building up to a full on rage and both boys backed away a little uncertainly. Filling a glass with cold water Jen stalked her way down the corridor to Joey's room, bursting in and flinging the contents of her glass at Joey. 'Oh crap,' she muttered loudly.

'Crap?' Jack questioned.

'Well a wet pillow is just punishment,' Jen scowled.

'She's not here?' both boys asked the question as Jen emerged into the living area.

'No, she's not here, probably shacked up with evil eyes Dawson,' Jen scowled.

'I didn't need that image, thanks,' Pacey muttered as he pushed his cereal bowl away suddenly not very hungry.

'She'll realise how much better you are one day,' Jack tried to sooth.

'I thought she already had,' Pacey admitted feeling awful. 'This wasn't meant to happen. She was supposed to "see" me one day and then everything would be ok. I guess she saw me and didn't like me.'

* * *

Pacey had his feet on the coffee table as he attempted to enjoy the peace of the empty apartment. The truth was the previous night was on a replay in his head, and every time he felt like being sick. Jack and Jen had already headed to work and as he was on the late shift he was making the most of an unusual opportunity to wallow in self-pity as he watched _The View_. He cursed irritably when the phone rang,

'Yeah?' he wasn't exactly feeling verbose.

'This is Meesha from Joey's office,' the womans voice sung down the line.

'Oh, yeah, hey Meesha, whats up?' Pacey nonchalantly turned up the volume.

'We were hoping to catch a hold of Joey. We were expecting her early and her cell seems to be off,' Meesha was full of bright and breeziness.

'Her cell's never off, try her again cos she ain't here. She hooked up with Dawson last night I imagine,' Pacey muttered distracted.

'Ok, well thanks then Pacey. I'll try her cell again.'

* * *

Pacey arrived home somewhere after midnight thoroughly knackered. He was surprised to find Jen and Jack conversing quietly in the living area.

'What's going on guys?' he could sense their concern.

'Um, Joey's still not back,' Jack seemed a little hesitant.

'Not back?' Pacey threw his bag on the floor and kicked off his shoes.

'Nope I called her cell, just to check on her but it's off,' Jen bit her nail.

'Her work called earlier as she didn't show, but they've not called again so I guess she showed,' Pacey shrugged. 'She's fine I'm sure, just with Dawson.'

'Maybe,' Jen didn't sound convinced and she trailed off, 'but come on Pace...' she said at length.

'Come on Pace what?' he wasn't in the mood.

'How long have we been living here?' she asked him looking to Jack momentarily.

'um, well about four years,' Jack finally gave an answer.

'And how many times has Joey stayed away?'

'None - well unless you count Christmas and when she goes undercover,' Jack answered again watching Pacey who rolled his eyes disparagingly,

'You guys know where she is! She probably called Dawson and went to stay with him. She's never stayed with a boyfriend because she's never had one. He told her he wanted her - music to her goddamned ears. She probably went straight from work to his place,' Pacey told them, unable to keep the scathing tone from his voice.

'I guess,' Jen nodded.

* * *

 _The previous night_

Joey stared at Pacey's empty seat, the crowd at _Clives_ apparently oblivious to what had just happened. She couldn't believe Pacey had just stormed off, _the big baby_ , not that she could blame him of course. She felt sick with guilt because Pacey was lovely and she _had_ been using him and he'd called her on it. She sighed deeply before putting down the cash for the drinks they'd had and left the restaurant. She nodded to Wallace and Peters who were in a car watching her. She was used to being trailed, she had been trailed for almost a year and a half after all, ever since she'd become a lead on the case.

Walking down the stairs to the metro station she sat on a bench to wait for her train. She jumped when Dawson sat down beside her.

'Oh hey,' she smiled engagingly, somewhere deep inside feeling pleased to see him.

'What happened to your date?' Dawson always seemed to be sneering, and he was clearly disgusted that she would choose to go out with Pacey.

'He had to go to work,' she lied easily.

'I don't like the idea of you with someone other than me,' Dawson announced softly. 'Especially not him.'

'You didn't mind the idea a week ago,' she challenged wondering where Steinberg was. He was supposed to be watching her and she discreetly looked for him. It was instinct to check for the guys.

'A week ago you weren't seeing Pacey,' Dawson explained. Silence engulfed them. Dawson looked at the information noting it was one minute until the next train arrived.

'Jo, can I borrow your cell? I need to call work and check my messages and my phone just died?' he asked casually.

'Oh, I don't normally lend it. It's a work phone and they get pissed if I use it...'

'Please Joey, I'll be really quick,' he begged.

'Ok,' reluctantly she handed the cell to him and he stood up as he dialled, his back to her. He was still on the phone as the train pulled up. Joey stood and looked to him holding out her hand for the cell. He held up a finger indicating he'd be a minute and gestured for her to get on the train. Joey resisted without her cell. Dawson hung up and they both jumped on the train, not before Dawson's arm flapped as he picked up his bag and her phone slipped from his fingers and fell to the track, smashing to pieces under the train.

'Oh my god, I'm so sorry Jo,' Dawson flustered in the empty compartment, 'I'm such an idiot.'

'No problem,' her heart was racing. Where the _hell_ was Steinberg?

They sat in silence as the train rumbled into Upper Manhattan. At length Joey stood and so did Dawson.

'This isn't your stop,' she frowned.

'I thought I'd walk you home, there are loads of dangerous people around you know,' he explained.

'No need,' she jumped off the train and hurried away. As she made her way up the deserted staircase she felt relieved to be heading to the fresh air. Then everything when black.

* * *

Opening her eyes against the throb of pain in her head Joey took in the dim room. No windows. Concrete floor and cold. Despite it being early Fall and still warm out she was freezing. She was on a bed, a thin mattress and no covers. Her wrists were bound together and up above her head, tied onto a ring in the wall. She looked over her body and saw her dress was still on her, and so was her underwear which flooded her with a short lived relief. She heard a noise at the metal door as it was unlocked and then a squeaking noise as it was opened. A tall figure entered wearing a cloak and mask. A plain white mask, the cheep kind that kids could decorate. It was intimidating, Joey realised. Very, very intimidating.

'I know who you are so you don't need to wear that mask,' she said, surprised by the crackle in her throat. She was surprised again when he held water to her mouth and couldn't help but drink greedily. The man remained silent. 'I've spent too much time with you not to know who you are. Why don't you take me now, I don't mind,' she knew how this guys mind worked. He wanted what he couldn't have and when that suddenly became easily attainable, he didn't want it anymore.

She watched him walk around the room. She knew what was coming, knew what had happened to the others. She watched as he knelt on the floor and using a soldering iron, heated the end of the metal poker. The fear hit her then. _It wasn't supposed to get this far_. A cold sweat broke out and she began to shake, silent tears running from her eyes. Power, Joey, it's all about power, she reminded herself. She wanted to undermine him, say something to weaken his power but for once in her life she was too scared. She watched him stride across the room, watched as he pushed her top up, struggling uselessly against the bonds that held her, then watched as he pressed the red hot iron to her, branding her, marking her as his, as someone he owned. She didn't scream, she knew that was what he wanted so she grimaced in agony. Think Joey, think, she desperately wanted to distract herself, but it was useless when the smell of her own flesh burning was permeating the air.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is chapter 7. Thank you to all the wonderful people who took the time to review or PM me. I really appreciated it - made me smile.**

 **Please review guys!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **DAY 2**

 _Come on answer dammit,_ Pacey cursed himself for even bothering. He just couldn't get down to work until he knew Joey was ok. It just wasn't normal for her to not answer her phone or come home. For the fifth time that morning her office phone clicked to answering machine.

'Look Joey, it's Pacey. We're all worried about you, so just give us a call please,' he sighed audibly. 'Look I know you're probably with Dawson, and maybe, I don't know, embarrassed, or whatever about what happened...but really just let us know you're ok,' and then he hung up, immediately picking up and dialling Jen.

'Pacey?' Jen answered immediately.

'I left another message. I'll try her cell but I imagine it's still off,' he grumbled.

'Pacey, her cell is never off,' Jen reiterated for the millionth time. 'We all know that. It's time to call Mallory,' Jen ordered hanging up.

'Ok, I'll do it,' with a deep sigh Pacey picked up the receiver and dialled Mallory's office number, at the FBI.

'Mallory,' he answered and Pacey hated the guys thick voice.

'Hey, it's Pacey Witter here, Joey's roommate,' he decided roommate gave him more authority, rather than "friend she screwed over."

'Um, yeah... hi,' the guy seemed reticent to be on the phone with him.

'Just wondering if you guys could get Joey to call home.'

'Um...'

'She is there right? You have heard from her since Meesha rang?' Pacey really needed to get back to work and was feeling irritated with Joey. She knew better than to not contact anyone if she was going to stay out all night, or two nights, especially in her line of work and she needed to be more careful about letting them know - they were bound to worry.

'Um...no.. I mean...' Mallory was being cagey and Pacey recognised it immediately.

'What do you mean _um no?'_ Pacey wasn't going to be put off.

'She hasn't been in the last day or so,' Mallory coughed.

'And do you guys have any idea where she is?' Pacey was really agitated now, an agitation driven by the small nest of fear residing deep within him. 'I mean she's not supposed to be in then, right? She's on assignment? Vacation days? Where is she?' the questions came out in a jumbled up fashion. He'd assumed that Joey had been at work. Assumed that she'd been in touch with work at least, but Mallory's cagey attitude had thrown him.

'We're working on it,' Mallory wanted to be off the phone, it was obvious from his tone.

'What do you mean, _working on it_?' Pacey was suddenly pissed - that was so the wrong was to phrase it. What the hell was _working on it_ supposed to mean?

'Just that Pacey, we're working on it,' Mallory sighed. He didn't have time for this and he was stressed, and probably mucking up.

'The fact that you're working on it implies that this isn't a normal absence from work and that you guys have some responsibility. That you don't know where she is. Do you? This doesn't have anything to do with the case does it?' Pacey suddenly felt very sick and had to hold onto the counter to support himself.

'You know I can't tell you anything,' again a sigh.

'Why the hell not? We're her family dammit,' Pacey felt beyond irritated. He had always been quick to temper when it came to people he cared about.

'Look Pacey, this is bureau business and you're not involved. We don't need you hindering our case,' Mallory was tempted to just hang up.

'Where did she go after our dinner? Wednesday evening?' he asked.

'I can't tell you that.'

'But you know right?'

'I can't tell you that,' Mallory repeated.

'Well what the hell can you tell us? We want to help. We went out to dinner at _Clives_ the night before last,' he offered up. 'I left her there.'

'I know,' Mallory couldn't keep from sounding condescending.

'How do you know?'

'For gods sake Pacey, your table was chosen for a reason. We were listening in. Joey's had a tracking device in her cell for the last two years - it's safe to say we know she was at _Clives_ the night before last.'

'Why were you listening in?' Pacey didn't understand.

'Look I gotta go, we'll call if there's any news, till then consider Joey on operation,' Mallory was about to hang up.

'Look, she might be with Dawson,' Pacey caught him.

'We know,' Mallory sighed again.

'Jesus Mallory just tell me what the hell is going on?' Pacey yelled but heard only the dial tone. Slamming the phone down he paused then picked it up again dialling Jen.

'Pacey?' she answered the phone as before.

'It's a work thing. They don't know where the hell she is, hell no one seems to know where she is. I'm going to call Dawson then head over to you guys. I figure if we visit head quarters en masse they can't turn us away.'

'Sure Pace, hurry,' Jen hung up. Pacey, brow knotted, punched in Dawson's number. After a few moments he answered.

'Hey Dawson it's Pacey,' he barely managed to keep from adding _you fucker_.

'Calling to gloat,' Dawson practically spat down the phone.

'Woah man, if anyone should be congratulating someone it's me you. Joey was never interested in me you gotta know that,' Pacey listened to Dawson's heavy breathing.

'Could have fooled me,' he said at last.

'Well she fooled me. She told me that night at _Clives_ it was all about you. Did she not come and find you?

'No I was with Audrey that night and last night. After I saw you two together I called her.' Dawson sounded suddenly normal and less pissed.

'Oh,' Pacey frowned again.

'She's ok right?' Dawson sounded worried and suddenly Pacey felt guilty for all the bad feelings he'd been casting down the phone.

'I hope so.'

'What happened?'

'She just didn't come home that night, or last night,' Pacey admitted.

'That's not like Joey,' Dawson sounded genuinely concerned.

'Exactly.'

'Do you want me to do anything?' Dawson seemed to genuinely want to help.

'I'll let you know if we need a hand ok,' Pacey rubbed his eye.

'Yeah, do.' They both hung up. Grabbing his keys Pacey headed for the door, not bothering to instruct anyone about his absence or what to do during it.

* * *

'What's going on Pace?' Jen asked as soon as Pacey entered her office. Jack was sat cross legged on her floor.

'Joey has gone missing. Or I think she has. The bureau won't tell me what's going on, or rather Mallory won't tell me. I only know that they're "working on finding her."'

'Look Pace, start at the beginning please,' Jack bit his finger nails, a nervous ha it that drove them all crazy usually, though no one seemed to notice.

'At dinner Tuesday night Dawson showed up in the restaurant, saying it's where he always goes and saying Joey knew that. That made me think she'd planned for us to go there for that reason, so Dawson would see us together - you know, make him jealous. He starts laying into Joey, saying she declared her love for him on Saturday and saying he's ready to give it a go. Joey says no basically but when Dawson left and I asked if everything had been because of Dawson she said yes, so I left.'

'That's so unlike Joey,' Jack muttered into his hands. 'To use you like that?'

'I know, and Saturday night, before she left with Dawson she told me she'd never use me to get to him and then she goes and does just that. Maybe she saw that it made him jealous, I don't know.'

'So where do we think she is?' Jen asked.

'Wait up Lindley, the story thickens. When I rang Mallory, he sounded real pissed to be talking to me and in his impatience turned all know it all. Basically said he knew we were out together because they were listening in , that we were at that table for a reason, which would explain why Joey chose the restaurant. He also said her cell was fitted with a tracking device - I guess somethings happened to her phone if they've lost her,' Pacey was striding up and down Jens cramped office.

'Back up there a second Pace, why on earth would they be interested in your dating conversation with Joey?' Jen was staring at him perturbed.

'I don't know, for fun? I don't know, 'Pacey kicked her desk, 'maybe she was working her case and Dawson and I were just bystanders? All I know is I want some clarity. Lets head over and see what we can get out of Mallory, and what's her boss called?'

'Kinster,' Jack supplied.

'Yeah, him,' Pacey nodded.

* * *

'I keep telling you, you can't just barge in here,' the lady at reception wasn't having any of their tactics.

'Well we're not leaving until Kinster or Mallory come and speak to us,' Jen glared daggers at the woman.

'Look, I'll put a call up but everyones pretty busy,' she reluctantly picked up the phone.

'And we know why,' Jack muttered under his breath.

'I'm really sorry... yes, I know... yes... I really know... that's just it, her friends are here and they won't go... ok... ok... mmm, sure,' she hung up the phone. 'Take the elevator to level two, turn right, through the double doors and then buzz. Someone will come and get you.'

It hadn't really occurred to Joeys friends exactly what her job would entail but as they went further and further into the building, they grew more and more impressed.

'It's so FBI,' Jen cooed momentarily sated from her panic.

'Yeah, so damn secretive,' Pacey's mind was one track.

'This buzzer I guess?' Jack murmured pressing the button and holding it down for five seconds. Almost immediately the door was opened and a grey haired man ushered them down a corridor. Pacey looked around and caught sight of a photo of himself before a door was closed. They were ushered into a small room and the grey haired man sat opposite them.

'I'm Joey's boss, Kinster,' he introduced himself. They introduced themselves back, resisting using just their surnames, as they'd often joked, but only because of the tense situation.

'What's going on?' Pacey asked as soon as the introductions were done.

'Look, I think Mallory stressed you guys out for no good reason this morning. He hadn't had his normal cup of coffee, you know there's nothing going on out of the normal...'

'Bullshit. Mallory said you guys were working on finding Joey which makes me think you've lost her,' Pacey almost jumped to his feet but Jen held him back.

'Mallory's an ass, if you excuse my language,' Kinster rubbed his hands together.

'So where is Joey?' Jen tried to ignore a look Pacey was giving her.

'She's on assignment,' Kinster didn't quite meet her eye.

'Yeah?' Jack asked as Pacey seethed.

'Yeah. She's unable to get in touch, but will do when she can.'

'So you know where she is?'

'We're almost certain,' Kinster stated.

'You either know your you don't,' Jen stated.

'We know,' he nodded.

'Her cell?' Pacey asked.

'Can't tell you,' Kinster's face was blank.

'Look, just get her to get in touch,' Pacey nodded and stood to leave. Bewildered Jack and Jen stood to leave.

* * *

'Are you going to tell us now why the hell you didn't push things with Kinster?' Jen flopped onto the couch, Jack beside her, Pacey continued to stride up and down.

'He was going to lie to us. Hell, he already was. Joey would have told us, or been in touch. The one thing Joey always does is answer her cell and she's not answering. They don't know where she is and they don't want us to know that just yet - that's what I think. The one thing that is true is that Mallory screwed up, he was meant to play like all was ok, but he was panicking and he told us the truth!'

'How do you know?'

'Jen, why would they want to listen into Joey and I? Why would she pick the restaurant? And that table?'

'I don't know,' Jen shrugged.

'Well lets go do some digging,' Pacey made for Joey's room.

'You can't just go through her things,' Jen protested but when Pacey turned to her with such fear in his eyes that she almost backed away,

'You don't know what she was working on,' he growled.

'And you do?'

'That man, that man that takes women and rapes them, sometimes kills them,' he could barely say the words as Jen and Jack paled, Jen sinking to the floor.

'No,' she shook her head.

'Joey told me what he does to them. Keeps them for ten days, torturing them then rapes them. Well as far as I can tell, if she's missing then he has her and the FBI don't know where. And because I was so fucking mad, we're on day two already, and if we continue to be so damn complacent it'll be day three.'

'No,' Jen repeated.

'You don't honestly think...' Jack was pale.

'She's probably with Dawson...'

'She's not with Dawson, I spoke to him and he had no clue about anything. So yeah I do think she's in big trouble, so yeah, I'm going through her things. If I'm wrong I don't care.'

* * *

Joey breathed as he left the room. Day 2 was over. At least it was her and not some other woman. Better it be no woman but she'd rather her than have Jen going through this. She could feel where he'd beaten her. The wounds open and bleeding. Perhaps if she had screamed he may have stopped sooner, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She refused. He wouldn't own her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys, thanks for the reviews and feedback. Please keep them coming - I've not tried a story like this before and I'm desperate to know what you think - constructive criticism is also welcome! I only have three more chapters ready to post so I need to get writing. Reviews motivate! Things move quite fast in the next couple of chapters:-)**

 **Thanks, Tabxx**

 **Chapter 8**

 **DAY 3**

'I don't get it, does she never bring her work home?' after a few hours sleep Jen and Jack were again with Pacey in Joey's room, which had suffered the familiar localised tornado. Pacey was unable to sleep and had been staring at Joey's room as if answers might jump out from the book lined shelves, or reveal themselves in her wardrobe of fresh smelling clothes. He was scared and Pacey couldn't sleep when scared.

'Lets go over the facts,' Pacey took a huge slurp of very strong coffee. 'Why be listening in at our table? Or following Joey for that matter?'

'Because you're under suspicion?'

'Not a bad thought,' Pacey nodded to a surprised Jack, 'I mean I did catch a glimpse of a photo of me on a wall when we were at the bureau yesterday.'

'I'm sure you were mistaken,' Jen shook her head.

'Then explain her choosing that table, at that restaurant, knowing they'd be listening in?' Pacey challenged.

'Joey picked the restaurant right? So she, at least, knew you guys were being listened to.' Jen's brain was whirring. 'I mean maybe you were part of the plot to lure out the rapist? I mean the only reason to listen in to your date was if you were either under suspicion or a pawn in the FBI's game of rapist chess.'

'I'm not a rapist,' Pacey stated.

'No kidding,' Jen rolled her eyes.

'But Joey said it was all for Dawson, so that doesn't make any sense. Could she have been playing two games in one?' Jack asked.

'You mean snag herself a boyfriend and a rapist in one go?' Pacey frowned with scepticism.

'It's possible,' Jen suggested sitting on the bed.

'So if I'm not under suspicion,' Pacey stated striding up and down, 'what if I'm the pawn she decided to use to catch the person under suspicion...'

'But who?' Jack asked sitting beside Jen.

'Dawson,' Pacey stated boldly. 'Only other person in this scenario.'

'Dawson's a bit creepy but a rapist?' Jack arched his brow sceptically.

'And Joey's been into him for ages...'

'She said it was all about Dawson. I asked her if it was all about him and she said yes. What if she was trying to get close to him, to find evidence, to try and get him to take her. What if she was the bait and that's why they were listening in and tracking her? Maybe she's been going on about him all this time in the hopes of getting him to notice her, to make a mistake and take her...'

'That's a little far fetched...' Jack offered up in a subdued voice.

'But it's not. It explains everything. Why she'd use me. She used me because he noticed, because it made him want her and it was her job to catch him. That's why they were listening in. That's why they were following her.'

'You mean, what if it really was _all about Dawson_?' Jen asked in a quiet voice.

'She knew he asked you out. What if he never told her, what about if she found out through FBI means. What if she was worried your refusal would encourage him to take matters into his own hands...' Pacey stared at them, his hands gesticulating wildly.

'You mean she tried to be taken instead of me?' Jen looked horrified.

'I think it was always the plan that she get taken, but they weren't supposed to lose _her_ \- they were supposed to catch _him_.'

'So Joey's been mooning after a suspected serial rapist for the last year and a half?' Jen buried her face in her hands. 'I mean, Joey seemed like she was really into him.'

'Maybe this is my optimistic "in love with her" point of view, but I think she was never really into him,' Pacey was on a roll, 'I think he was her assignment. I think she's been undercover. There've been so many moments between us, private moments when I would swear she feels something for me, but she's always backed away. Maybe she had to? If the FBI is onto Dawson she would be in a perfect position to get close to him. Don't forget he doesn't know she's FBI.'

'Come on Pace, Dawson is a prat but he's not a rapist,' Jen shook her head.

'And even if he was, surely he'd stay as far away from an FBI agent as possible - I mean he must know...' Jack added.

'How would he know? She swore us all to secrecy.'

'Doug knows,' Jack put in. 'Maybe Dawson was sworn to secrecy too?'

'Nah, he thinks she works in a publishing office. He's said as much. He thinks her job is boring. And even if he was suspicious maybe he thinks Joey is blinded by her love for him.'

'Dawson as a rapist though?' Jen still couldnt picture it. 'As a murderer?'

'I roomed with the guy in college and he's not always quite right. He gets really mad and he definitely sees women as possessions. You should have heard him talk about Joey when he was busy chasing her...' Pacey glared at the floor.

'So our conclusion is that Dawson is a rapist?' Jack seemed confused.

'And that he's got Joey,' Pacey closed his eyes as if to shut out the thought. Unfortunately it didn't work.

* * *

Pacey waited impatiently at the buzzer, pressing it again. Finally Kinster appeared.

'Pacey,' he nodded and automatically Pacey followed him down the corridor. Finally they were seated in the same room as the previous day.

'Why have you got a photo of me up?' Pacey asked at length.

'Because you've been a part of our investigation,' Kinster answered simply.

'But not a suspect?'

'No, never a suspect.'

'You don't know where Joey is do you?' Pacey rubbed his eyes.

'No,' again the simplicity of response.

'Do you think she is with Dawson?' Pacey stared the man in the eye.

'We believe that he may be responsible for her disappearance.'

'Is he the Countdown rapist?' Pacey felt his voice crack with emotion.

'That is what we have been trying to prove.'

'So why not arrest him? Why not question him?'

'We did, but we have no evidence. The guy is smart and while we're sure he's our guy, we have no ability to make an arrest stick. Joey was going to make it happen. She's been in position for a long time, after he was so interested in her back in college. She was supposed to get close to him, get the answers...' Kinster sighed and looked down, suddenly seeming every bit as stressed and tired as he was.

'But she turned into bait?' Pacey asked and Kinster shifted uncomfortably.

'It was her idea. She was worried about her friend, Jen. We'd tapped into a couple of calls from Dawson asking Jen out and flirting. Jen kept saying no. Joey knew that was like waving a red rag to a bull. The guy likes to control those he can't. So she wanted to get Dawson's attention away from Jen, make Dawson think he couldn't have her either. She didn't want to use you, suggested just about anyone else, but I ordered her to do it. Everything was reaching a crescendo... it felt like me might finally get this bastard off the street.'

'So she got with me and made sure Dawson knew about it?' Pacey thought he might throw up.

'Pretty much. We'd stopped her dating for almost two years so she was approachable for Dawson and then, what, twenty four hours with you and we have him zeroing in on her.'

'She knows he's always had a thing about me - back in college he seemed to go for the girls that liked me. Well except for Joey of course, she wasn't interested in either of us,' Pacey sighed.

'Well no, we'd pre-recruited her - if she did well in college, she had guaranteed entry into the agency...'

'Oh.'

'We didn't think he'd be suspicious about our guys watching. He has no idea she's even FBI. We change those following her regularly. We don't have a clue how he knew about the phone, but he must have known, to smash it like he did,' Kinster took out a cigarette and lit up despite rules against it.

'So you know he took her? It was definitely Dawson? If your guys are following, they saw that much, right? You're following him? I mean surely you weren't just tracking Joey?'

'Of course not. Steinberg was on Joey, but there was a drug in his thermos god knows how Dawson got it in there - he fell asleep in the lobby of the metro, and McGregor and Fisk who were on Dawson that night they were drugged as well. They fell asleep in their car...'

'But you must know where he goes by now...I mean there have been other attacks and if you're watching him...' Pacey was pretty sure he was having a panic attack, his chest felt so tight,

'We don't know where he takes them,' Kinster admitted.

'So what the hell now? We just wait until her releases her?'

'Look Pacey, this isn't easy. Our expert on the case is gone, the precautions we took were rendered useless, no women has ever been able to locate where she was - it's a room with no window, a concrete floor and it's very cold. The door is metal. They're tied to a bed, hands tied and attacked to a ring on the wall. Their feet are attached to the corners of the bed. He comes and goes as he pleases.'

'But I spoke to him the first day she was missing, I spoke to him. Why don't you arrest him? At least prevent him from doing more damage than what has been done since...'

'He never does anything remotely suspicious. It's like he know what we're thinking. He goes to work then goes home. He acts like he's the model citizen. He sees his girlfriend, hell call him on the phone right now and he'll be completely normal. We do follow him, as you know, hell we've searched his house and his work and there's no evidence, no nothing... Not a hair, a thread...'

'Why the hell do you even suspect him if he's such a model citizen?' Pacey growled in exasperation.

'We have our reasons, strong intelligence linking him to the place and most significantly the victim. When the attacks occurred, the timing, the state, the victim...'

'Fine, I'll go over. Let me have another look around, he offered to help look for her you know? Maybe I can catch him off guard...' Pacey suddenly saw something he could do.

'Ok, but don't make him suspicious. He knows we know. He might know Joey's FBI, or working with us, but we can only hope he doesn't.'

'Why?'

'Because he'll probably kill her if he knows.'

'That can't happen,' Pacey shook his head.

'You don't need to tell me,' Kinster rubbed at his eyes. 'Here, take this,' he handed Pacey as cell like Joey's. Pacey headed to the door and then turned back, hesitating,

'How many girls has he attacked?'

'Reported?' Kinster asked with a weary sigh. Pacey nodded. 'There was the one girl that was killed, the last victim. That was a year ago. Before that there hadn't been a victim for a year. He seems to have a yearly ritual. There were four previously reported attacks.'

'So if he has Jo, she's the sixth victim?'

'Yes.'

'We need to find her.'

'We do,' Kinster agreed.

'And nail Dawson's fucking ass to the wall,' Pacey added darkly.

'That too.'

* * *

Pacey decided not to call Dawson but just show up,

'Hey,' Dawson seemed surprised to see him but not unpleasantly. He stood back to allow him in.

'How you doing?' Pacey asked reminding himself of the importance of being friendly.

'All right. What can I do for you?' Dawson's brow was furrowed in confusion. Despite rooming together the first year of college, he and Pacey weren't close.

'You know I called about Joey?'

'Yeah, she's alright, right?' Dawsons eye contact with Pacey didn't falter.

'Not exactly. We still haven't heard from her,' Pacey sat down.

'What does her office say? I have the number if you need it?' Dawson asked amiably and Pacey bristled at the subtle suggestion that Pacey wouldn't have her work number.

'They're ambivalent - say she's owed some holiday,' Pacey shrugged, hoping he appeared to be a hell of a lot calmer than he was.

'But it's not like her, not to go without saying anything,' Dawson shook his head.

'I know and it's not like she packed,' Pacey added.

'And things were alright between the four of you?'

'Alright?' Pacey was momentarily flummoxed.

'Yeah, none of you'd had a fight with her? She wouldn't leave because she felt like she couldn't go home?' Dawson sat opposite Pacey. Images of that night at dinner flashed through Pacey's mind. Him abandoning her at the table. She'd have been pretty scared of seeing Jen and him again after that.

'Not enough to stop her coming home,' Pacey shook the doubt away.

'Joey's pretty headstrong Pace, you know that,' Dawson looked at his watch. 'Look I'm meeting Audrey in a few minutes, you want me to do anything? I can call friends, family and ask them?' he looked so concerned that Pacey began to doubt the FBI. 'Of course you can probably manage that short list,' he joked and Pacey's outlook hardened.

'Nah, we should be ok just give us a call if she gets in touch so we can stop worrying -after all you're a likely port of call,' Pacey watched him. He smiled,

'Yeah I guess I am.'

Dawson stood to leave and so did Pacey. It caught his eye then, small and hidden as it was in a gap between two of the floorboards by the edge of the rug but as his eyes zeroed in on it, he knew with certainty that Dawson was full of crap.

* * *

Joey knew why he burned his victims feet. She'd read the psych report. When he let them go he'd watch them crawl away. It was all about power. Of course the psych report didn't say how it felt when someone did that to you. Then again, why would it?


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok, so this is taking a while to reveal itself, so I'll post as quickly as I can. I need to finish off chapter 11 and then write one further chapter and we're done!**

 **This is a short one so review and I'll get the action packed chapter 10 up for you!**

 **Thanks for the reviews as always! Truly thanks! I'm having a very lonely week with my husband and best friend both away so I'm enjoying the reviews especially!**

 **P.s. Dawson as a villain - yeah he seems to be the bad guy. I'm not really seeing him as the character from the show - I don't hate Dawson from the show, he was just a great choice to cast as the villain in this. Sorry.**

 **Chapter 9**

 **DAY 4**

'Finally,' Jen slammed her lap top closed as Pacey walked into apartment. 'Where the hell have you been? Jack and I have been going crazy here...'

'At Joey's work,' Pacey was exhausted and had no energy to deal with her anger.

'So what's going on? I can't do anything,' Jen was red eyed herself and on the verge of bursting into tears. Pacey relayed the information Kinster had given him, watching Jen visibly wince when she realized Joey had been protecting her. He then gave details of his trip to Dawson's. He'd spent the night in the bar across the street, _Hells Kitchen_. Thinking.

'Is that normal?' Jack asked with a frown. 'To be so helpful? I mean it seems kinda sick to take a girl and then offer to help look for her.'

'Perpetrators often join the hunt for missing people, it's, as always, about control,' Jen said wisely. The boys looked at her, 'Joey told me that.'

'Well shouldn't we call her friends and family before making assumptions? I mean Dawson does have a point,' Jack added.

'Look I haven't finished,' Pacey wanted to tell them what he'd found.

'But this could all be over if we called them,' Jen stated.

'Do we even have numbers to call them?'Jack asked Jen, Pacey growing increasingly infuriated by their lack of focus.

'Trust me, it's not necessary,' Pacey thought of the moment in the restaurant when she told him she had no one. One weirdly honest moment in the midst of deception. He didn't doubt that she'd told him the truth, although he didn't know why. Maybe to let him know that should she disappear there would be no one but them to miss her, to find her.

'How come you're so sure?' Jen asked. 'That Dawson is full of bullshit?'

'What does Joey always have with her?' Pacey asked deciding he shouldn't be the one to reveal Joey's secret.

'Cell phone,' Jack and Jen said in unison.

' _And_?' Pacey wanted them to get it. Both were concentrating fiercely.

'That thing we made her - that stupid little safety pin thing,' Jen landed on the right answer with triumph. The first year they'd all met, Joey had said she was staying at Columbia through the holidays, keen to do some extra work. They'd made her a bundle of things for Christmas including the tiny safety pin with a row of beads - something Jen's grandmother had taught her to make. There were eight beads - two blue for Jen, two red for Pacey, two green for Jack and even two yellow for Dawson. That was back when they were all friends. Since the day she'd received it Joey had worn it someplace on her person as a good luck talisman.

'Recently the pin was starting to go but she wouldn't let me get another. I saw it in Dawson's hall,' both Jen and Jack paled at this information. 'I went straight to the bureau and they say it could have got there Saturday night when she abandoned our dinner with Dawson - apparently that's where she went. They're gonna go check his place again but they aren't hopeful.'

'Was she wearing it Sunday? 'Jen asked.

'I can't remember, I was too damn mad,' Jack admitted.

'Weren't we all?' Pacey agreed.

'What about at your dinner? Or during your cake fight?' Jen asked eagerly.

'I can't remember, I keep trying but I can't,' Pacey grimaced.

'But if they're right then maybe she is somewhere safe? Maybe Dawson doesn't have her?' the hope lit up Jens features.

'I know you want that to be the case, hell we all do, but Joey doesn't have anyone - we're it,' Pacey sighed.

'But everyone has someone,' Jen murmured helplessly.

'She has us,' Pacey watched Jack and Jen absorb the information.

'So what now?' Jack asked at length.

'We wait for the bureau to sweep,' Pacey told them.

* * *

Pacey only meant to close his eyes for a second, just to rest them, but when the phone call woke him it was dark outside and he realized he'd slept most of the afternoon.

'Hey,' he answered the phone.

'Can you come in?' he recognised the voice as Kinster's.

'I'll be there in ten.'

'Bring Jack and Jennifer if they're around.'

* * *

Twenty minutes later Jen and Pacey were pressing the buzzer. Almost immediately an Asian woman answered.

'Meesha,' Pacey nodded in greeting to Joey's friend.

'Pacey, its been a while,' she nodded curtly and showed them into a room where Mallory and Kinster were. In the middle of the table was Joey's pin.

'This it?' Kinster asked straight away. Pacey and Jen examined it, but there was no question,

'Definitely,' both responded in unison.

'It was in the floor board crack by the edge of that rug in the front hall like you said. It was barely visible. I'm amazed your saw it,' Kinster nodded to Pacey. 'We found no other trace of her but a hair, but that could have been there from Saturday night - they both could have.'

'Joey would have said if it was missing I'm sure,' Jen looked at Pacey for confirmation.

'It's true, she's worn that thing everyday since we gave it to her - she always knows where it is on her person. You must have seen her playing with the beads? It's such a part of her you almost don't notice her doing it,' Pacey described and both Kinster and Mallory nodded in agreement. Of course Pacey had noticed. He noticed every thing about her.

'We found her phone. On the metro line. It had fallen between the rails. The battery was knocked loose but the phone was ok. It had Dawson's finger prints all over it,' Kinster watched Jen and Pacey closely. Both of them frowned. He waited.

'But Jo doesn't lend her phone to anyone - I mean no one. It's never just lying around, it's always on her person,' Jen looked at Pacey who nodded.

'That's what we thought. There are only two sets of prints on there - Joey's and Dawson's.'

'So the bastard definitely has her?' Pacey felt sick and looking at Jen he didn't think he was the only one. 'I mean there's two bits of evidence.'

'He was certainly the last person to see her,' Kinster didn't know what else to say. 'We know she had her cell at dinner with you Pacey.'

'So what now? We just sit and hang around? Wait for him to do all these horrific things to her? What does he do to them?' Pacey asked.

'Believe us, you don't want to know,' Kinster shook his head slightly. He looked as pale and drawn as the rest of them.

'Isn't there anyone else to check with?' Jen stammered, her voice barely audible. 'Pacey says there's no one but maybe you guys know more...'

'She doesn't have anyone,' Kinster sighed. 'Well she had a friend from the group home, but neither she nor her partner have seen her - it's a dead end. They've not spoken for ten years anyway.'

'Group home?' Jen asked softly, but no one answered.

'So how long have we got?' Pacey asked.

'How long for what?' Mallory looked at him confused.

'How long till he does something to her that there's just no getting over?'

'I'm afraid that time has already passed,' Kinster looked at his hands. He felt responsible.

'That time has passed?' Jen echoed his words.

'Yes, I'm afraid it has.'

* * *

Joey watched her cloaked and masked assailant move about the room. His movements were deliberate. Her hair was wet with tears. She didn't know whether it was worse to know what he was going to do or not. She was scared and she hated herself for the fear. But she was still in control.


	10. Chapter 10

**You guys made my day with your reviews - those who regularly review and those who don't! This chapter is ready. Hopefully 11 tomorrow and if I find time to write, 12 when it is done! This answers some questions:-)**

 **Please review and make me smile!**

 **Chapter 10**

 **DAY 7**

'She's there, I just know she is,' Pacey said for the eighth time.

'Try thinking about where else she might be Pace. Kinster said they'd searched several times. She's not _there_ , that's the whole point,' Jack sighed, sitting on the couch beside Doug. They were all getting snappy as time passed and progress grew slower. None of them had been going to work. None of them had the ability to concentrate, because they knew that for every second that Joey wasn't found, it was a second that compounded the fact that she might be lost for good.

'I think I'm going to be sick,' Jen murmured and sped off for the bathroom. It wasn't the first time. Jen was suffering under the guilt of knowing it could have been her, that Joey had taken her place.

Pacey surveyed the notes that littered the room. He was missing something and he knew it. He ordered himself to think, running through the chain of events. Something they were all overlooking. Suddenly the pieces seemed to slot together like the perfect moment in a game of tetris,

'I can't believe we've been so stupid,' he felt excited for the first time in days. 'How could we have not realized sooner?'

'Realized what?' Jen was making her way back into the room from her impromptu trip to the bathroom.

'We keep saying she's got to be at his house, and it's true,' Pacey said and Jack and Jen almost sighed except there was something new in his voice - certainty, as if a piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.

'How?' Jen said at the same time as Jack said,

'Why?'

'Dawson is being followed closely. He goes to work and he goes home. That means she's either on Wall Street or she's in his house. I'm thinking that there's a little more freedom at home. That's where her pin was. I mean it's obvious. If he's taken her, he'd want to have access to her, free access. He's at work, at home or out in very public places. She's got to be in his house,' Pacey felt triumphant.

'None of which alters the fact that she's not there,' Doug pointed out. He'd been sat silently on the couch watching his brother.

'She is there. If she's still alive it's the only place she can be. We know where she is, now we just have to find her there.'

'Professionals have searched that property,' Doug pointed out.

'Then they've missed something,' Pacey insisted and shrugged, 'I'm going to headquarters,' he said and the other three stood and followed him.

* * *

'We've been through this before, she's not in the house,' Mallory sighed impatiently.

'I tell you she is,' Pacey growled.

'Then why haven't we found her?' Mallory snarked.

'Come on now guys,' Kinster didn't have the time or patience for squabbling.

'Have you checked the plans for the house? Checked architects drawings? Applications for changes? I mean maybe this isn't even an authorized change. Have you checked everything?' Pacey glared at him and could see it in his eyes that he hadn't done everything. 'I mean what if he applied for a change and was refused but did it anyway? Or made an unauthorized alteration? Maybe there's a hidden room.'

'This isn't fucking Scooby Doo,' Mallory muttered sourly.

'Shut the fuck up Mallory and check it out,' Kinster yelled. There was unfortunately no sense of triumph for Pacey who wished they'd done it days ago. He was certain he was right.

* * *

Joey watched the masked, cloaked figure. Today was the day she'd escape. She knew it. She had skills the other women hadn't and she was planning to use them. She wasn't going to wait to be rescued or be killed. He wasn't going to hold the power anymore.

Day 7, the day he de-feminised the women, or whatever it was he thought he was doing. It was the least brutal of all days but psychologically it was the most cruel. Joey knew that by day seven he thought he had control. He had always had control. The women were unbound and undressed. They were seated in a barber style chair. He would cut their hair, then shave it all off. He'd shave their arms, their legs, between their legs. Throughout the entire process they weren't tied up. This was often the thing that made the women feel worst. The fact that they could have tried to escape but the fear and the power he held over them had rendered them incapable. Joey would be different. She knew she could beat him. She knew things none of the other women had. She knew who was behind the mask - she didn't need three years in the FBI to recognise his smell, the way he moved. She also knew where she was. She recognised the creak of a ladder, the smell of an underground room.

She watched as he untied her hands, allowed herself to be led on blistered, bleeding and burnt feet the short distance to the middle of the room. She held back the tears that threatened to fall as he watched with satisfaction as she stumbled due to the pain. But she hadn't really stumbled. Joey knew she was strong enough to work through the pain, to practice mind over matter. She knew something he didn't and it kept her going, made her ignore it. She watched as he approached her in order to remove her clothes. He bent down until he was crouched beside her. There was something almost gentle in the way he reached for her. In just a split second she had grabbed his arm and twisted it until it was pinned behind his back. He struggled against her but she pressed her knee into his back, vaguely satisfied to hear the bone in his arm snap. She hadn't eaten much for days so she was weak, but she normally ran every day and went to the gym.

'I know who you are. Do you believe me now? Huh?' she pressed her knee deeper into his spine. 'Hiding behind a mask, you think you can hide the fact that you're a psychotic bastard. You think I ever really wanted you? This is it. You're caught,' Joey grabbed the mask pulling it and the hood of the cloak off revealing the greasy blond hair of her once friend.

'You wanted this Joey. You were asking for it, begging me to be with you,' Dawson growled as he struggled against her weight, moaning in pain. Joey laughed bitterly,

'You're such a self centred egotist. It was all about this. I'm not a publisher, I'm in the FBI and they've been onto you for ages now. I was the bait - we trapped you,' Joey could feel her anger bubbling over as she pinned the squirming man to the floor. She was weak and knew she was wasting time. As Dawson opened his mouth to speak she lifted his head by his hair and then smashed it into the floor knocking him out. Looking at his blood spattered face convulsions shook her body and tears began to leak from her eyes. Crawling to the bed she reached for the rope that had bound her and returned to Dawson, binding him tightly and then tying one end of the rope to a pipe hoping it would hold until her inept colleagues at the Bureau made it.

Crawling across the floor she made it to the ladder, climbing up it despite the blood that leaked from the wounds on her feet, despite the pain that made her want to cry out. Pushing through the trap door she found herself in a space between the room where she had been held and the floorboards above. She pushed through a second trap door and emerged into Dawsons utility room. Pulling herself through the hole she shut the trapdoor behind her, not bothering to cover the space with the carpet he had apparently used. Seeing a pile of laundry she grabbed some socks and pulled them over her blistered wounded feet. Seeing the blood soak through them she pulled on a second and then third pair, finally pulling on a pair of Dawsons oversized tennis shoes. Staggering to her feet she made her way to the back of the house whimpering. She knew there would be agents outside the house and she didn't want to see them. Bending low she opened the back door and slipped through the gap closing it behind her. Keeping low to the ground she made her across the yard. Hearing a noise she quickly hid behind the trash cans. Peering out she watched as a familiar figure made its way across into the back of Dawson's house. The figure knocked and then knocked again. At length he bent and retrieved a key from under a nearby plant pot. Joey's heart was beating so loudly she could hardly breathe. As the figure let itself in she clutched at her broken ribs, scowling at the infected burn on her stomach. Joey knew she had to pull herself together. She knew that the pain she felt in every atom of her being wasn't important. The facts were that she was losing blood and she very likely had blood poisoning, but neither of those problems were something she could yet think about. Against every instinct in her body she turned away from freedom and followed the figure back to the house. As silently as possible she entered the house and then peered into the utility room watching as the man opened the hatch.

Joey watched as the man climbed down the hatch, his pace fast and his appearance panicked,

'Dawson man, they're onto you. This place is blown - you gotta make a run for it,' he yelled down into the basement, panic in his voice. 'I told you she was FBI. I warned you to leave her the fuck alone.' Something in Joey snapped. The guy was moving fast and when he was almost completely through the trapdoor Joey kicked him in the face, thankful for the tennis shoes. The man swayed as she swung the trapdoor as hard as she could onto his head. She struggled to hold it shut with her weight as he beat against it. Looking around Joey saw a key. Keeping the majority of her weight on the trapdoor she leant across and reached for the key hoping it secured the trapdoor. Struggling against the force of the man beneath her she managed to shove the key into the lock and turn it. Immediately she relaxed. Her body was destroyed but she knew she had to get away - after all the guy might have his gun on him. Getting to her feet she immediately fell. Not to be beaten at this point she again pushed to her feet and stumbled from the house, out the way she had come, following the path the man had taken to the house knowing now that there was a small gap in the stakeout if you knew where to look. She finally stopped a few hundred yards or so away from Dawson's house, her breathing shallow, her shoes filled with blood and the pain to much to ignore. A young mom lived there with her two little kids and Joey prayed she was home. Her breathing shallow, her shoes filled with blood and the pain too much to ignore she struggled up the back porch steps and hit the door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for the reviews guys! You all rock for taking the time to make me happy. They also are helpful. Thanks to Yana for getting me to put into writing the vision in my head for where she was hidden. Hopefully it'll answer some questions!**

 **Please review. I know I beg everytime, but they keep me writing. I have nothing written for the last chapter, but I feel we all need some closure lol.**

 **Thanks, Tabxx**

 **Chapter 11**

Hannah Abbott opened the door and screamed.

'Sorry,' Joey gasped the words, but just barely.

'Oh my god, are you ok?' the thirty year old woman reached for the younger girl but quickly realized that there was nowhere obviously undamaged to tough her. As Joey swayed Hannah caught her under her arms and gently lowered her to the rough wooden boards of the back porch.

'I need a phone,' Joey whispered feeling the darkness creep in around the edge of her vision, swirling swarms of black bugs threatening to take her consciousness.

'Ben,' she called into the house unwilling to leave the badly beaten girl. 'Bring mommy the phone as quick as you can please.'

'Mommy?' the little boy's voice called through the gap, 'what you doing?'

'Stay inside please sweetheart,' she told him firmly, 'go turn on some cartoons and look after your brother for me. There's a good boy. Thank you for the phone.'

'Mommy,' the boy attempted again.

'Inside, now,' she stated more firmly.

'Dial for me…' Joey whispered and reeled off the number slowly and as clearly as she could. Her mouth felt full of liquid which she realized was blood by the metallic taste. 'It'll be Kinster – say you're with Potter…' she spat the blood out as best she could, 'sorry.'

'Oh my god, don't say sorry,' Hannah did as was asked, waiting for the phone to connect. Finally a gruff voice answered, 'Is that Kinster… yeah my name is Hannah Abbott I'm with Potter.'

'Tell him to listen…' Joey told her struggling to keep her eyes open, and rolled on her side so she didn't choke on the blood in her mouth.

'Listen,' Hannah stated forcefully.

'There is a… secret underground room… in the utility room. Dawson is… tied up in there. Christopher Mallory… he was in on it… like I thought. He's locked in but may have his gun…' she had more to say but she passed out as Hannah relayed the information, and told Kinster where she was, then said she was calling the police and an ambulance.

* * *

The atmosphere in the car was tense. They were already in transit travelling behind two police cars with their sirens blaring when Kinster received the call from Hannah. When the phone rang every one tensed.

'Thank God. Where are you? Is she ok?' Kinster asked calmly. 'Fuck...yes... Ok… yes... Uh-huh... do so now. We'll be there in five.'

'What is it?' Jack asked because Pacey and Jen didn't seem to be able to do so.

'Joey got out. She got them,' Kinster said aloud. 'She fucking got them,' he grinned, unable to stop himself.

'Them?' Jack asked as Pacey's head sunk into his hands.

'Leery and Mallory were in this together,' Kinster admitted grimly. 'Seems Mallory has been steering Dawson away from Joey. I imagine you pushed Dawson over the edge Pacey.'

'Did you know?' Jen asked horrified.

'Joey never trusted Mallory but he'd given us no reason to doubt him. I didn't want to believe her gut over actual evidence,' Kinster attempted somewhat defensively.

'Maybe next time you'll listen to her gut feelings and she won't have to endure seven days of torture,' Jack bit out fiercely.

'Where is she?' Pacey asked, his voice low and authoritative.

'Couple of doors up from Dawson's with a stay at home mom.'

'Just get us there,' Pacey finally spoke, his eyes sunken, unable to deal with the ever more nightmarish reality of Joey's job and recent captivity without first seeing her.

* * *

They got out of the car quickly but immediately slowed at the sight of so many people, so much shouting and the cacophony of flashing lights. The police and FBI weren't subtle. There were people all over Dawson's house, the police, agents and the FBI, even a few agents in combat gear. It was clearly a no go zone, not that any of them were really interested in seeing Dawson just yet. Pacey would have probably killed him, but he wasn't interested in that kind of conflict just yet. He wanted Joey. He wanted her so much, because until he saw her, until he knew she was ok, it felt like he wasn't alright, like the lights were out and everything was muted. He knew he was in love with Joey. Heck, half the world seemed to know he was in love with her, that he had been pretty much since he met her, but with everything that had happened - the shared kisses on the bathroom floor, the long beautiful kiss on their bench, the half a date, her disappearance and the knowledge of what that might have entailed for her, they all made him realize that he was forever in love with the girl. When your forever person has been tortured and beaten, potentially violated in one of the most horrific manners, well he wasn't much concerned with the perpetrator at present, that slow burning rage would be saved for another time, he _had_ to see her. Had to.

Pacey moved in a daze, flanked by Jen and Jack, but mostly oblivious to their presence. There was no denying the nervousness about what they might find, about the impossibility of escaping the reality of all their friend had suffered. As they reached the pretty house three doors down from Dawson Jen faltered and passed out. Jack stopped to help her but Pacey walked on.

The house was surrounded by vehicles with flash lights, both the police and ambulances and he walked around to the back where the majority of foot traffic was going, including a paramedic with a bag, jogging past him. He wasn't stopped or questioned. Most of the people probably knew of him, chances were several had listened to his date with Joey, or his half date. Maybe they all knew he loved her, that he yearned to be with her, maybe his adoration was public knowledge in a place where it wasn't warped to try and entice a rapist and murderer to take you. He could tell Joey was on the back porch because of the paramedics. A young woman stood inside the open front door talking to Meesha, and some other agent he couldn't remember the name of. Other people stood around but he didn't know any of them, except for Doug, who was stood blocking his path to Joey. He didn't know what to say to his brother and he honestly thought he might thump him if he prevented him from getting to her. Or he might cling onto him and sob and beg him to hide her from view so he didn't have to feel the pain of her pain. Doug merely squeezed his hand and moved aside.

There were three paramedics and what looked like a doctor surrounding the body on the porch. It was almost impossible to equate that bleeding, unrecognizable, lifeless form with Joey, the vivacious girl with quick wit, a surly temper and a smile that reached in and claimed his heart every damn time. They hadn't moved her onto a stretcher so he knew it had to be bad, and she had at least three bags of fluids going into her, one containing blood. It was hard to see her. Her face was swollen, and her hair was covered in blood, the green dress she'd worn to their date wasn't green but an awful brown, stained as it was by her blood. It was torn, and the full expanse of her legs was visible. Someone was working on her feet, they looked blackened and the paramedic appeared to be attempting to remove something from them. She didn't look like Joey, she looked red, there was so much blood on her body he wasn't entirely sure whether there was a part of her that wasn't damaged. It was hard to look at her but hard not to. Hard not to check for the gentle rise and fall of her chest, hard not to see the blood, the bruises, the cuts, the raw blistered burns on her feet. But it was also hard to see all that when the tears blurred his vision.

Somehow he made it to her side, slipping between the paramedics and looking at her damaged face, where not a patch of skin wasn't swollen or else stained with blood. He dropped to his knees and desperate to touch her, to reassure her that she wasn't alone anymore, he reached a tentative hand forward and pushed a strand of hair off her face, the strand stiffened by dried blood. Her eyes fluttered open and stared at him, Joey's beautiful hazel eyes still perfect in her battered face.

'Joey,' he whispered her name, a mantra of love. 'Are you ok?'

'Just dandy Pace,' she barely managed to whisper.

'Fuck Jo, I'm sorry...' he hadn't known that would come out, but it must have been in him for him to say it as she lay barely alive on the wooden porch. 'If I hadn't of left you then this would never have happened...'

'He was supposed to take me,' she reached a hand to him which he took. He didn't even notice the crooked state of her left hand.

'But I love you and I left you to this,' he pressed his face against her hand, pressed kisses to it.

'We'll have a redo,' she shut her eyes for several moments, 'sometime...'

'A redo,' he chuckled wryly. It was so Joey to be talking about a redo date while in her current state.

'Pace,' she whispered his name and pushed herself up to sitting, crying out in pain. There was instant outcry from the paramedics but she ignored them all to press her head to his chest.

* * *

'A trapdoor? A fucking trapdoor? You're telling me the FBI can't locate a fucking trapdoor in some psycho's house?' Pacey glared at Kinster.

'I don't owe you an explanation...'

'Then I'll get one from Joey,' Pacey snarked.

'Listen, I don't like this anymore than you. That kid is more than just an agent to me. The truth is Pacey - I fucked up. Joey, she came to me maybe a month ago and she said she didn't like some of the things Mallory was saying. Said she'd uncovered a link between Dawson and Mallory. They'd both been in this small town, Capeside, over in Massachusetts, place near where one of the attacks occurred. They went to high school there. They were there together for a matter of months and I dismissed it. We checked it out and there was no obvious connection. Mallory was FBI screened for fucks sake. It takes a certain kinda psycho to do what they did.'

'So he covered for Dawson?'

'Seems Leery was the boss of this mess. Or so Mallory says. For a share of the...fuck,' he shook his head bitterly, '...you know... Well he steered us clear. I thought we had Leery the last time but we couldn't make it stick. Mallory - well he and Joey are partners and you know, we all trusted him back then. He ran the sweep last time and he ran it this time. He's one of the best. In every other case he's the best.'

'So you searched that house at least three times and missed a trapdoor?' Pacey was seething.

'No,' Kinster shook his head. 'We're talking extreme levels of psychosis and planning that went on. This was theatrics for Leery. He fucking filmed everything, as if he were making some sick horror film. He didn't scrimp on the setting. That room was virtually undetectable. He put in an application for that first level but not the second. Who the hell knows how he built it, but these weirdo's always find away. Tell the neighbours they're redoing the kitchen. The "trapdoor" if you wanna call it that was inlaid and he actually had tiles he placed on top of it so it disappeared completely. He even put Lino over the tiles, not a mat, but Lino that stretched from the clear edge of the room to just under the washer and drier. Crafty son of a bitch. We even rolled that goddamned Lino. Joey made them do it last time, but those tiles were seamless. Cruel as it seems, even if we'd found that trapdoor it merely led to a storage area. The second trapdoor, it was hidden just as effectively.'

'He's always been good at deceiving the viewer, at creating the vision or scene he wants,' Pacey stared at an old Starbucks cup in the garbage. 'So what happens now?' he asked rubbing his tired eyes and looking at Kinster.

'I'm done. They won't let me stay after this. For Joey? A promotion, some therapy. For Leery, he's looking at life. Mallory will be behind bars for a long time.'

'You think she'll come back?'

'Yes,' Kinster didn't doubt it.

* * *

Pacey stared at the pristine hospital room and then at his cactus. Joey had a thing for succulents and cacti and so instead of flowers he had bought her the thorny plant. It seemed dumb now he was in her room and staring at her, her injuries more pronounced now she was clean of blood, her dark hair limp and dull. She tried to smile at him, but her bruised face and cut lips didn't allow it. Instead she reached out a hand to him,

'Hey,' she said.

'You look...clean,' he offered.

'Don't make me laugh,' she rolled her eyes, about the only thing she could do without pain.

'A bought you this,' he put the cactus beside her bed.

'Thank you,' she whispered, entirely touched. 'It's perfect.'

'I don't know what's real anymore and what's not,' the words burst out, 'and I don't want to ask you, not right now after everything, but I don't know anything. I just...I loved everything about that cake fight, all that time in the bathroom just kissing you and touching you and feeling like the one thing I've wanted more than anything else in all the world might finally be happening. And now...I don't know what was real. It felt real. And on our bench, that felt...felt like it meant something.'

'It's you Pace. Of course it meant something,' she reached out and took his hand, threading their fingers together.

'Forget it, I'm sorry, you don't need today with me and my insecurities right now... I guess I just...I don't know if I'm here as a friend...or as more...' he tried to explain.

'Is there a difference?' she stared at him, taking in his worried eyes, the pain in them as he looked at her, and the desperation.

'Yes,' he stared at her, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand, 'yes,' he repeated. 'If I'm here as a friend then I can say that I love you, that I was worried, that I'm sorry. I can say that I hope he rots in jail. I can ask if you're ok and tell you that I'll do anything, anything at all that you need, that will make this easier on you.'

'And as more?' her eyes were glassy, because he always said everything just right, even when he was trying not to say anything at all.

'If I'm here as more then I would still say that I love you, but I would tell you how much I love you, have always loved you. I would tell you that it breaks my heart to think of everything you were subjected to, but that I'm proud of you, so unbelievably proud of you for doing what you did to protect others. I'd also tell you that the thought of losing you...well it made me realize I can't. I can't lose you. I'm not me without you.'

'Pace,' she turned her head, the tears leaking over her swollen face.

'I'm sorry...' he offered pressing a kiss to her knuckles. 'I'll be a friend.'

'Be more,' she whispered.

'Really?' he looked up and met her steady eyes.

'Pace, nobody saw us kissing in the bathroom, or on that bench. Well maybe Sanchez saw us kissing on the bench, but those kisses, they were because I wanted them. Well them and the chocolate sauce,' she smiled with her eyes and he grinned widely at her.

'Trust you to joke at a time like this,' he muttered and swiped at his eyes, because they kept filling with tears.

'You don't need to wipe them away. It's ok,' she took her hand from him and ran a thumb under his eye. 'I love that you cry for me.'

'Well that's a good thing,' he muttered with self-deprecation.

'I've got many tears to cry,' she admitted.

'You can cry them with me,' he assured her. She nodded and then took her hand from him and with some difficulty, especially with her broken left wrist, and much wincing slid to the far side of the small hospital bed.

'Please lie with me,' she looked at him and he melted. She might not look much like Joey, but those eyes and that voice and he'd walk the earth for her if she asked. He climbed carefully onto the bed, fully aware that he wouldn't be able to touch her without hurting her.

'I want to touch you,' he admitted his problem.

'There isn't anywhere,' she admitted.

'Then it's enough just being close,' he lay beside her, his body turned towards hers, his hands and hers clasped together between them, a bunch of wires and plaster cast interfering with skin to skin contact.

'It is, huh,' she murmured and pressed a gentle kiss with cracked and damaged lips to his nose, before resting her head over the steady and utterly reassuring thump of his heart.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys,**

 **Thanks for the reviews. This is the last chapter I think. I would love to know what you think. This was longer (and dirtier) than I intended but sometimes things write themselves. Often for me in fact lol.**

 **Please review and I'll work on a new idea I'm brewing. I know a lot of people are keen for another chapter to Reclamation so I'll have a think on that as well!**

 **Thanks guys, as always.**

 **Chapter 12**

 ** _Two months Later_**

'Hey Pace,' Jack stated cheerfully as he entered their apartment. Pacey jumped half a mile having considered himself home alone, and dropped his freshly prepared sandwich on the floor, smashing the plate.

'Fuck,' he swore grumpily and shot a look of contempt at his friend.

'I just said hi,' Jack defended, holding his hands up. 'I'll make more sandwiches while you clear up.'

'Sure, sure,' Pacey muttered picking out the bits of sandwich and throwing them in the compost bin, before finding some newspaper and wrapping up the shattered plate. 'Sorry,' he looked at Jack, who shrugged,

'It's no problem man,' he said easily. The truth was there hadn't been a lot of cheer in their home for a while. Things got worse when Joey came home, a surprising awkwardness between the four of them that had never been there before. It didn't last for long. Old familiarities snuck their way back in, and the tensions eased, tensions brought about by guilt. Only Joey hadn't been angry at anyone, not even Dawson, a fact that surprised and continued to surprise her angry friends. She claimed that anger wasn't part of her job, that she knew what might happen. Despite her words and her reassurances she was quieter than she had been, less able to relax, and she didn't laugh nearly as much as she'd done before. Angry or not the ordeal had taken a toll on her, and she'd paid a high price.

'You seem stressed,' Jack shot a furtive glance at his tsking friend.

'I am,' Pacey admitted. Joey had almost died. She'd been kept in hospital for over a month with blood poisoning, and damage to her liver and kidneys, as well as the external cuts and bruises. If her kidneys didn't show improvement she'd have to go on dialysis. She'd made it home but hadn't gone into work for a further month. She had however gone into Pacey's bed. She didn't talk about her time in that room, but she had nightmares and after attempting that first night alone she snuck into his room and curled her body into his - a sanctuary in the chaos of her mind. They didn't kiss, or touch intimately, but lay entwined together as she healed. Sometimes they talked. Never specifically about what had happened, but about how she was feeling, or he'd reiterate his love. It was pillow talk and it brought them closer than ever. And as her scars healed, he held her closer hoping she would psychologically heal as well. Physically the scars would be there, and there would be lasting damage but it was the change in their confident, sassy friend that really broke them all. Pacey always felt the grip of fear and _wrongness_ these days because he had her back and yet he wanted _her_ back all at the same time. He loved her however she was, but it hurt to see that she'd been broken, that she couldn't find the happiness, the carefreeness that at always been part of her.

'What's up?'

'Joey went into work today,' he admitted and Jack stopped piling ham onto their sandwiches, the knife dropping to the counter top.

'Is she ready?' he asked and Pacey just gave him a look, because it didn't seem she could ever be ready.

'I think they're trying to ascertain that. She said she wants to go back. That she wants things to be normal.'

'Well maybe it will be a good thing. It might help,' Jack shrugged and resumed his sandwich making.

'They lost her and let what happened happen. She was supposed to get taken, fine, but they weren't supposed to lose her.'

'And at some point you've gotta let that go because it doesn't help her,' Jack chastised. 'They were psycho's Pace. To do what they did in that cold calculated way. It's psychotic. The FBI didn't stand a chance of keeping a trace on her with their own man working against them. It was what it was, and she's safe now, she's mostly in one piece, and it will get better. It's only been two months.'

'I know.'

 ** _Another Month Later_**

'I'm sorry,' Joey muttered into her coffee as she and Jen sat a the breakfast bar in silence, a silence that would have once been filled with chatter.

'Why are you sorry?' Jen stared at her in confusion. Jen's guilt felt like it had taken her over and she couldn't begin to imagine what her friend, who'd gone through unthinkable things in order to protect her, was sorry for.

'Our morning coffee together used to be...chattier,' Joey took a sip of her milky brew.

'I don't think you need to apologize for that,' Jen admitted, 'I'm as silent as you.'

'I'm going to say this only once and you need to listen to me Jen, ok?' Joey stared at her, the words clear and to the point. 'It's not easy to talk about all... that, so listen.'

'Sure, ok,' she nodded.

'You happened to be the girl he was interested in. I would have done what I did for anyone. For any girl, because it's my job and because...people like him, they can't be allowed to commit crimes like that again and again. Don't feel guilty over something you didn't do and had no say in. I made a choice. Me. It was the right choice even with everything,' she gestured to herself. 'I need my friend back.'

'Ok,' Jen nodded again.

'Ask me something, anything,' Joey begged desperate for a break in the household tension.

'Are you sleeping with Pacey?' she gave Joey a wicked smile and slid her chair nearer.

'Yes,' Joey tilted her head to one side.

'Oh my god!'

'Just sleeping,' Joey burst Jen's bubble with a smirk.

'Really?'

'I have bad dreams and he's...'

'Your teddy bear?' Jen teased and Joey nodded with a small smile.

'He's lovely.'

'But you're just friends?'

'Oh we're more than friends. We're just taking time to enact the more.'

'Do you kiss?' Jen slurped her coffee.

'I'm figuring one day I'll just be ready. I don't even know why I'm not. I feel all scrunched up inside, and I guess I'm waiting until things smooth themselves out.'

'That's fair enough,' Jen agreed. 'But you do have feelings for him?'

'I'm in love with the guy, so yeah, definitely feelings,' she smiled.

'That's...well perfect really. At least he's not pining anymore. You guys talk or just sleep?'

'He makes things feel better,' Joey admitted.

'Thank you Joey. I mean for easing things up between us, but for what you did, for being my friend. Just thank you.'

'You and I, our friendship has always gone both ways Jen. You're my best friend for a reason.'

'Good,' Jen felt a wave of guilt, felt it threatening but she pushed the feelings away, or tried to.

'I think we should bring a little levity home tonight. I'll pick up tequila if you stop by the market for lemon and salt?' Joey suggested.

'Deal,' Jen nodded enthusiastically.

 ** _Yet Another Month Later_**

'Hey Pace,' Joey dropped down onto the couch close beside him and grabbed the beer from his hand and took a long slurp. Her head dropped to his shoulder as she stared at the baseball game he was watching, her body warming his side.

'Hey,' he smiled because she was near him, and it was always better when she was near him, especially now she was back at work on restricted hours. 'Work ok?'

'Desk duty,' she rolled her eyes and drank more beer. 'I like baseball. It's kind of gentle,' she mused and he turned to look at her with an indignant expression,

'Gentle?' His voice squeaked and her stomach clenched at his utter adorableness.

'Compared to hockey, football, even tennis.'

'That is not a gentle sport,' he gestured to the television where his team was on strike three. 'Those balls are moving, sometimes at over one hundred miles an hour, and...'

'It's like cricket,' she stated and shot a sideways glance at his dropped jaw,

'Cricket?' again with the squeak.

'Uh-huh, fielders, batters, catch the ball and he's out. All you need is the teams to break for tea and it'll be cricket,' she took another sip of _his_ beer.

'You don't know what you're talking about lady,' he took his beer back from her, their fingers brushing together and making his belly swoop pleasantly. He stared at the screen instead of at her lest he push the boundaries that had been in place since everything that had happened happened, and just pulled her to him and kissed her. She didn't look the same as she had, there was a scar on her cheek and one on her lip, small and fading but they fractured her face somehow. He didn't find they detracted from her beauty in any way. To him they only made her seem more beautiful because she wore them unabashedly. They were part of her now and she didn't apologize for them. The feel of her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck sent his body reeling in both surprise and pleasure, because it felt un-fucking-believable to have her cool hand play with the hair there. He turned to look at her and found her smiling at him, his eyes zeroing in on that beautiful mouth of hers.

Joey hadn't found it easy to laugh since Dawson had taken her, the incident people referred to as her "horrific experience." Horrific didn't really seem to do it justice, and despite the fact that she'd known what the potential risk was, knowing something and experiencing it are two very different things, and had she truly known how the experience would feel, she would never of volunteered. Except she would have. To save Jen, or some other girl she'd do it all again in a heartbeat because what she did was catch them. They were in prison and would be for a long time, hopefully forever. Despite her pride in herself, and utter thankfulness that she was still alive, she still didn't find it easy to laugh. Except when she was with Pacey. Around him her smiles came easier. It was so easy to unnerve him with a hand to the back of his head, to watch his eyes dance between hers and her lips with that look on his face, that look of utter adoration, of devotion, and not in a freaky sense, but devotion in the best way possible. She tried to hide her smile as he tried to resist, his face moving a little closer to hers and then backing away, his eyes dark and enticing. He really was the sexiest man alive.

'Pace,' she said his name and he blinked a couple of times and nodded,

'Hmmm?' he managed and she tugged the back of his head at the same time as moving her head towards him until their lips pressed together for several beats in a close mouthed kiss. Her tongue snuck out and pressed against his lips, wetting them just a little until his mouth opened and with a deep, rumbling and incredible sexy groan he tugged her closer, wrapping her tight in his arms and kissing her. Everything in her responded to him and she could have wept with relief, because she hadn't been sure she could feel again, especially not something that felt so entirely good. And kissing Pacey did feel good, it felt better than good, it felt fantastic. She thrilled at the pleasant beat between her legs, at the swooping sensation in her stomach, at the urge to be closer and more naked.

'Pacey,' she moaned his name because it felt divine, and knowing he wouldn't move things further without her lead she shifted herself, swinging a leg over his lap so she was straddling him and the divine hardness of him was pressing against that pulse, that beat. She deepened the kiss, and rocked against him creating a friction that elicited a moan, a noise of pleasure she hadn't meant to make.

'Aw fuck Jo,' Pacey's hands found her ass, and tugged her so she moved against him again, his kisses growing frantic, his hands moving to rub her behind, to push down the back of her jeans, and tug her closer, but not as close as she wanted to be. Her hands pushed up through his hair, holding his face still as she slowed the kiss, rocking one last delectable time before she stilled. 'I'm sorry,' he breathed into the air between them.

'Why are you sorry?'

'We haven't had our redo date, and I'm mauling you like...like...'

'Like you love me?' she smiled widely until he was smiling too.

'Yeah,' he gave a soft chuckle.

'I love that you love me,' she pressed soft, gentle kisses to his cheekbones.

'But...'

'No buts Pacey. We can have our redo anytime.'

'We can?' he asked and he really was the fucking cutest thing in the world, still insecure despite the fact that she quite obviously adored him.

'I've needed time. I still need time. But what I really need is you.'

'Me?' he smiled.

'Yeah, you,' she confirmed. 'And I do want a redo date, though not at _Clives_. In fact I want lots of dates. I want to go to the movies, I want to go ice skating, and drag you shopping. I want afternoon tea, to meet for lunch. I want to go to Coney Island. I want to do lots of things with you, but right now I don't want a redo date. I want to kiss you more.'

'You do?'

'Mmmm,' she nodded.

'So why'd you stop?' he looked at her with wide, gorgeous eyes.

'So we can go to your room,' she gave a nervous shrug because her body wasn't smooth like it had been, it was scarred, marked by another man. She wasn't ashamed of her scars, she was sort of proud of them, but they didn't look nice. They weren't sexy, and they definitely reduced her attractiveness. Well that was what she thought despite having yet to look at herself naked in the mirror. She didn't exactly fear that Pacey would find her less attractive than he might have done if he'd seen her before, but she was different, and he couldn't help but see that. She herself was scared of that difference and all it reminded her of. 'Do you think you'd do something with me?'

'Anything,' he nodded.

'Come with me,' she took his hand and led him through to his room. Pacey followed her unsure where she was taking things, his body entirely optimistic though he took deep breaths to calm himself. 'Since...since...' she blinked and swallowed, disappointed that she couldn't say the words, couldn't verbalize the incident. 'I haven't looked at myself.'

'You mean...' Pacey also trailed off, unable to out into words what she'd been through.

'No. But I want to,' she shrugged and then peeled off her shirt. Pacey stared because Joey, the girl of his dreams, the girl he'd wanted for so, _so_ long, was stood in her bra in front of him. 'That's what I worry about,' she said in a small voice and his eyes flicked up to hers.

'What is?'

'That you won't see me and want me. You'll see me and see what he did and stare. That you'll...'

'Joey, Jo,' he stood and moved across the room and took her hands. 'Let's look at your scars together,' he said, his voice steady. 'Right then all I saw was you, the girl I love and adore standing in her bra in front of me...and I stared, I did, because I've wanted to see that for a long, long time.'

'You didn't see this?' she put a hand to the mutilated skin where she'd been burned by the hot poker, one of the last wounds to heal over due to the infection. She refused to think of herself as branded. 'Or this?' she gestured to the scars across her abdomen, her chest, scars that he didn't know the cause of.

'I see them.'

'And it hurts to see them? They make me seem ugly? Tarnished? Like I'm somebody else? Like I belong to him?'

'Is that how they make you feel?' he asked carefully.

'Sometimes,' she admitted and stared at the ground before popping the button on her jeans and pushing them off. 'I used to imagine this...'

'This?' he frowned.

'Getting naked for you. You seeing me for the first time. I used to decide which bits you'd like, which bits you wouldn't, and which bits you'd love.'

'Which bits did you think I'd love?' he asked with a smile, taking her hand and threading his fingers through hers.

'This bit,' she pressed her other hand to her chest, 'and this bit,' she covered her panties.

'They're the only bits a I can't see.'

'They're kinda overshadowed by the bits, the bits I guess I hate. And the bits I love. I don't know, I'm so confused. I feel like they're these permanent reminders of what happened. I want you to love them and hate them.'

'I do,' he took another step closer. 'This,' he ran his fingers ever so gently over the mutilated skin of her burn, 'I hate it because it hurt you, and was done against your will, but I can see it as a mark of your bravery, your courage in fighting to protect others. They're all kind of like that to me.'

'They don't stop you wanting me?' she stared at him feeling the mood shift.

'Nothing stops me wanting you,' he admitted. 'I love every bit of you.'

'Really?' she couldn't help the optimistic tone creeping in and when she looked up at him she looked young and vulnerable, despite being the most fearless person he knew.

'I want you so badly. I want you to be mine forever, and for me to be yours.'

'Do you want this though?' she gestured to her body, to the scars that covered her.

'Yes,' he groaned softly and that noise was everything to her because it was restraint. He was showing restraint which meant he _really_ wanted her.

'You want me here?' she pressed the hand she was holding to the fabric of her bra, sighing as he squeezed and nodded. 'And here?' She took his other hand and pressed it to the front of her panties, loving the way his eyes closed and he nodded again.

'Yes,' he moved his fingers rubbing her softly, and that lovely feeling of abandon filled her up, as her body sang its approval of his ministrations.

'Come 'ere,' he dragged her to the bed lying down beside her and covering her mouth with his.

'I've missed kissing you,' she sighed between kisses, taking his hand and putting it back between her legs.

'Fuck,' he groaned and pushed his fingers under the material of her panties into the warmth and wetness that he'd thought about more than he'd like to admit. He'd wondered in occasion whether she'd been raped. Whether Dawson had achieved that awful goal, but he hadn't asked, because it only mattered if she wanted to talk about it, it didn't change his feelings or reduce his desire for her. He couldn't consider it at a moment like this and yet he couldn't ignore it either. They probably both knew that she had to take the lead and so he adored the fact that she pushed his hand between her legs, that she sighed and writhed as he pushed his fingers inside of her, curling them just so, and rubbing against her clit.

'Keep doing that,' she moaned and so he did, leaning up on his elbow so he could watch her face as she came apart for _him._

'Oh god,' her body lifted from the bed and then fell back down as she pulled his head to hers for a searing kiss. As they kissed she reached between them and popped the button on his jeans, 'I really want you inside of me now,' she felt like she was half begging but hoped it came across more as a plea, than desperation. She was rewarded by Pacey's _can't quite believe this is happening_ face, which then disappeared between her breasts as he pressed wet, sloppy kisses to her skin, kisses that felt amazing in their desperation to cover her. She moaned as he bit down in her nipple, breathing hot air through his mouth to the cloth covered material. 'I want you inside of me _now_ ,' she repeated, emphasizing the now to make her point, and pushed her hand down the front of his jeans and squeezed his hard cock. It felt like it was going to be as perfect as she always imagined, and she'd imagined it many times - in front of her, with her mouth wrapped around it, with his come squirting on her hand, the moment he slid inside of her.

'Aahh that feels good,' he stopped his fevered explorations of her body for a moment to enjoy the feel of her hand on him. She wasn't even doing much, holding him awkwardly through his half open jeans but it was Joey and that was enough.

'Take off your jeans,' she released him and he wasn't sure he'd ever stripped faster. Pausing only to watch her push off her panties. He was so hard it actually hurt.

'We don't have to have sex,' he offered aware that his hard cock was straining somewhat ridiculously against his boxers.

'I want to,' she gave him a look, 'if you do?'

'Fuck yeah,' he burst out with huge enthusiasm, and she laughed, the first truly spontaneous, unconsidered laugh since she'd been taken. He laughed as well, and stripped off his boxers watching her eyes zero in on his cock.

'You really had to ask if I wanted sex?' he smirked and she laughed again, gesturing for him to return to the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed where she gestured.

'Perhaps not,' she admitted, reaching a hand out and running her fingers over him, just skimming the smooth skin.

'Hmm,' he moaned his approval, especially as she closed her hand about him and moved her hand up and down, her thumb moving over the tip. 'Can I... you know, take off your bra?'

'Yes,' she nodded and he did the efficient pinch maneuver he'd perfected in high school and her bra fell open. She shucked it off, releasing him in the process, flinging it to the floor. His eyes landed greedily on her chest, the skin there smooth and unmarred. 'Pacey,' she took his hand and put it on her breast before swinging her leg over him much as she had done on the couch just a little while earlier, so she was straddling his lap. Only this time they were naked. 'Can I feel you against me?' she asked and to demonstrate what she meant she pressed the naked heat between her legs against him.

'Fuck,' there didn't seem to be another suitable word, as she rocked against him. He groaned and kissed her, his hands moving to her ass and moving her harder against himself, until she shifted and he was there, at the entrance to her body and she was pushing down onto him, at the same time as he was pulling her onto him. Her soft moan was swallowed by his kiss as he attempted restraint, to not beg her to fuck him. He didn't have to beg because Joey loved the feeling of him inside of her. It made her feel safe, and as if she were her own person again, in control and yet connected, and it made that beat speed up and intensify, begging for her to move and so she did, pulling up and nearly off of him before slamming herself back down, heedless to the noises she was making, and entirely focussed on the feel of Pacey between her legs and that growing feeling of climbing up, ever up, towards the precipice. She longed to fall, to feel everything gather in that one spot and then ripple out, and everything Pacey did sent her further, from the warmth of his mouth on hers, his frantic grasping of her boobs and her ass, the way he groaned, and bucked his hips up into hers making the connection between them so, so tight, until she could feel it and she ground down onto him harder and faster, feeling the same need in him and then her body was centring in, and then it exploded, the feelings spreading to every part of her, her eyes falling shut, her body pressing down as his hips bucked up and he cried out loudly a few seconds later, his face falling into her shoulder, his hands on her hips, as they both breathed heavily, entirely connected.

'That's what I meant by "in me now,"' she said unnecessarily, and he laughed, a breathy sort of laugh as his arms wrapped around her. 'Please don't ask if I'm ok,' she whispered in his ear making the hairs stand up and his body tingle.

'Ok,' he pressed a kiss to her neck.

'I feel good,' she answered the question he didn't ask. 'Whenever I'm with you I feel good, like I might be me again one day.'

'I love you. That means I love the you now as much as the you before.'

'But I want her back,' she admitted.

'Then so do I,' he shrugged easily. 'And she is still there you know.'

'Just cowering in fear,' Joey sighed.

'Give her time,' he offered and it didn't sound like weak advice coming from him.

'Time with you,' she amended and smiled at him. 'That felt really, really good.'

'Mmm,' he agreed with a soft, affectionate smile. 'You wanna go grab some food? I found this awesome burger place. It's more like a burger bar, it's got a couple of stools, but the food is amazing...'

'Yeah, I'd love to Pace,' she wrapped her hands around his cheeks and kissed his lips.

'Sex and a date, pretty damn good day,' he grinned brightly.

'You're such a doofus,' she rolled her eyes.

'Says the girl who's naked on top of me,' he couldn't resist lining her neck with soft butterfly light kisses.

'Mmmm,' she angled her neck and looped her arms about his.

'Seriously. This is the best fucking day,' he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently, a simple kiss. Except he was still in her, and she was naked, and apparently _his_. 'Marry me Joey,' he whispered and she sat pulled back and stared at him. 'You're my best friend. We've lived together for years now and I've loved you from the first moment you looked at me, rolled your eyes at me, put me in my dumbass place. From the first time you gave me a scathing look and called me a cretin. Then I loved you more when you told me you believed in me, when you taught me to believe in myself. You're the bravest person I have ever, ever met. I adore you Joey. I utterly adore you. I've known I want to marry you since, fuck, since I had that first conversation with you.'

'You mean back during our first class at college?' Joey frowned.

'Yeah.'

'We argued about animal threesomes,' Joey half smiled and half frowned in that adorable way only she could seem to do.

'Snails in particular,' he grinned.

'You called me big foot,' she narrowed her eyes at him.

'You stood on my toe and it hurt like a bitch,' he justified and then smirked, 'and you do have big feet.'

'And you still have a big mouth,' she shot back.

'They're your big feet so I love them,' he shrugged.

'When they were fixing them up I asked them to shave an inch off my toes and heel, they said no,' she joked and he laughed in half shock,

'Joey!'

'I'm kidding,' she rolled her eyes.

'I used to think nothing could make you laugh,' he squeezed softly at her waist where he knew she was ticklish and she wriggled delightfully.

'I thought you were a cocky bastard,' she smirked.

'Laughing or not I thought you were wonderful and I somehow managed to convince you to like me enough to live with me that that second year,' he shrugged.

'You were like a puppy, the more I spurned your advances the kinder and more adorable you were.'

'A puppy?' he arched sceptical brows.

'All enthusiasm, bravado and humour. Like a puppy.'

'Fine I was a puppy,' he rolled his eyes wondering if she'd answer his question.

'You were impossible to resist,' she admitted.

'But you did!' He protested, smoothing his hands up her thighs and wrapping his hands around her waist. He was fucking hard again and he was still in her so she had to know.

'I had to,' she moaned softly as he lifted his hips just slightly. 'I was there to focus on my studies. It was so hard getting there at all.'

'So those moments we had...did I imagine them?'

'You imagining this Pace?' she arched a brow and moved slowly on top of him. It was extremely erotic and Pacey's groan of approval rumbled through them both.

'No,' he sighed.

'You didn't imagine anything,' she cooed softly. 'I was pre-recruited, told to keep it together, not leave any...dents...'

'You left a dent on me,' he flipped them so her back hit the mattress and he was on top of her. 'A dent that's never coming out. Not ever.'

'I wanted you Pace,' she smoothed her hands over his shoulders. 'Probably more than you wanted me. Oh it took me longer to get there. I fought it, pretended it wasn't happening and practically majored in denial, but I wanted you a lot.'

'Those words are just confirming that this is in fact the best day ever,' he grinned down at her and rocked in a wonderful way making her sigh.

'One more word,' she stated kissing him.

'What word?'

'Yes,' she said and then laughed at his face, his jaw slack, his eyes wide before he grinned and rested his body against hers momentarily.

'Yes to my original question?'

'It was more of a plea,' she clarified.

'So you'll marry me?'

'That's a question.'

'It's a question,' he confirmed.

'And yes is my answer.'


End file.
